


There and Back again, an Untold Journey {Eustass Kid x Reader}

by Imperatrice_Furiosa



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, F/M, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Inappropriate Humor, Lemon, New World (One Piece), Rape/Non-con Elements, Threats of Violence, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-17 03:34:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 29,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15452478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imperatrice_Furiosa/pseuds/Imperatrice_Furiosa
Summary: {Reader is a warrior of sorts with an obscure past. She travels the seas accompanied by a group of misfits and strives to upturn the order of things. Her path crosses that of Eustass Kid, and both their worlds collide.}There will be a TON of references to other fandoms, some will probably be fairly obvious (marvel characters for example), other will be more subtle.





	1. Reunited

Chest expanding with gentle rhythm, you inhaled the tobacco smoke spiralling through your elaborate wooden pipe. The aroma was inebriating, it reminded you of pine needles and an indefinite melancholic past. You let all your expectations go and allowed gravity to cushion your head softly against the deteriorating fabric of the sofa. You observed the dense smoke as it crept past your lips and nostrils, rising mystically towards the ceiling... Your eyes slid slightly out of focus, your thoughts wandered to the past events which recently shook the New World.

The atmosphere of the tavern, The Prancing Pony, was thick with drunken voices of pirates, sailors and journeymen, a strong scent of various alcoholic beverages hung in the air mixing with the tobacco smoke emanating from cigars, cigarettes and a few pipes.A sudden voice dragged you back to reality:

 

"Care for a top up, darlin'?" -stated the host, a rather tall and burly 50-something year old man whose wild mane of inexplicably tangled hair intertwined with his rugged beard.

Underneath his overgrown mass of hair, you recognized two squinting amiable beetle-black eyes. Despite his barbaric appearance, his gaze was kind and comforting. He reminded you of someone your memory couldn't quite recall...

"Aje, I'll go for another brandy, thanks""Alright, bu' go easy eh? Usually this stuff is enough te knock ou' some 'o my best customer's, an' they're thrice ye size..." -he trailed on, you could sense concern in his voice.You grinned mischievously..." I can easily handle myself, and the blokes here, you mark my words"A few heads turned your way, several gruff voices seemed to be commenting on your statement."Ohi, keep it down! Ya must be mad to provoke this lot, a pretty young girl such as yourself should be more careful.. Mind, nobody would dare harm ya since I'm here, bu' watch yaself once you head out inta town..."

 

You simply smiled at him. Of course, he couldn't possibly know who you were or why you were considered such an infamous public enemy. Your appearance was perhaps a little peculiar for a woman, but none the less, you didn't raise any particular suspicion even though numerous wanted posters were upholstered here and there....including yours.As the host turned away to bring you another drink, you laid your eyes on your own wanted poster. Your bounty had been raised once again, the choice of such a foreboding number made you reflect on how desperate the World Government was becoming.

In bold lettering, the numbers 666,000,000 Berri and Wanted Dead stood out on the crumpled parchment. A bizarre depiction of you glared down at whoever dared to meet that furious gaze of yours...

The minutes passed by, and you began to feel somewhat unrestful as you sipped on your ice cold brandy. You nervously puffed on your pipe, the embers reviving and glowing more intensely, as you unravelled a very worn out hand-drawn map. You consulted notes and read from your personal leather-bound diary. your eyes casually flicked up now and then, just to make sure nobody was observing you. You refined your observation haki just to make sure. After what felt like several hours, pouring over your notes and maps, you perceived familiar footsteps in the distance...

 

The tavern door suddenly burst open and the most rambunctious group of mismatched rogue pirates anyone had ever laid eyes on, burst inside, loudly laughing and chattering away. The entire tavern went dead silent, every head swivelled towards them. The tension was so thick, you could almost slice it with your dagger.Some pirates broke a sweat, others began to withdraw into the shadows hoping not to be noticed. Some on the other hand, perhaps feeling threatened, slid their hands on their weapons, angry eyes examining these new rivals.As their captain called for drinks, a tall half-cast women affected by vitiligo noticed you sat comfortably seated in a corner. She was wrapped in leather armour, her alluring bust exasperating her already enticing figure. She went by the name of Domino and an impressive bounty of 450,000,000 Berri was placed on her head.She looked at you with a devilish smirk.You grinned back.

 

Finally, you were united with your crew once again.


	2. An unusual bunch

"Well I'll be damned, not only you're alive and in one piece, but you've also started drinking without us" - Domino cocked her head, an astute smile stamped on her face, witty eyes glimmering.

You stood up and embraced your Nakama... It had been such a long time since you had seen your crew, an overwhelming mix of melancholy and ecstasy washed over you, causing tears to trickle down your face, dampening your lips which were stretched in an odd sort of grin.

"Oh my, how touching, someone bring us a handkerchief" -A slender man, clad in black ornate and astoundingly elegant attire, was leaning against one of the wooden beams of the tavern. He wore high leather boots, a white ruff and kept an exquisite sabre on his left side. He was graced with dark sarcastic features, enhanced by a neatly kept goatee and sparkling gold earring.

"Tsk, typical of you to ruin the moment, Blackadder" -You stated, your eyes sharpening but that grin still dancing on your face.

You slid stealthily up to him and surprised him with hug.

"Baaah, let go of me you wretched creature, you know I can't stand public displays of affection!!" Your crew burst out laughing as Blackadder tried desperately to pry your arms apart, in vain.

"That's the bloody point, you idiot!" - you smirked.

Visibly uncomfortable, he begged you to let him go, and laughing at his predicament, you slapped your hand roughly on his shoulder making him splutter. But alas, to add to his embarrassment, your captain flung himself towards the both of you, yelling a sonorous

"GROUUUUUP HUUUUUUUUG PEEEOPLE!!!"

You both collapsed under the sudden weight of your captain, who by the by, was attempting to tickle you.

"GAH-FFF---STOP! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" You rolled around on the floor in a fit of laughter as your excentric captain prodded your sides.

"TICKLE TIIIME!" - He cooed affectionately.

"FOR THE LIFE OF ME, WILL YOU STOP, YOU BLITHERING IDIOT OF A CAPTAIN!" -you blurted out, most unceremoniously.

Your companions roared with laughter at the scene, whilst Blackadder, hair ruffled, losing his cool demeanour scrambled around in an attempt to escape the madness.

"Alright, calm down you two, save the antics for later!" Domino snapped both you and your captain back to reality.

Though he wore a red and black leather suit which covered his entire body including his head, you could tell that your captain was smiling. He tended a hand to you and pulled you back up to your feet. It was at this point you realised how eerily quiet the tavern was. People stared at the lot of you, incredulous at what they had just witnessed. Spectacles as bizarre as this were a rarity... Most often than not, the occasional drunken fight or brawl would break out, sometimes a stabbing would take place. The island you were on was a hotspot for violent criminals, vicious pirates, bounty hunters, scam artists and various heinous activities... such as slave trading.

 

You looked around and locked eyes with the tavern keeper: his mouth agape, visibly shocked, one rugged hand holding a flagon and a cloth, as he was evidently supposed to be cleaning. You grinned sheepishly at him, tugging up your hood to hide your reddening cheeks. Though momentarily stunned, he gruffly yelled at his customers to stop staring and to "mind 'yer damn own business, order anotha pint or leave!". And with that, he turned around to tend to other business, muttering in disbelief, as the patrons slowly began to relax, a timid chitter-chatter slowly forming.

 

"My friends, we should all seat ourselves, much we must discuss now that we are all together" - A gargantuan metallic glazed man invited you all to settle down. He went by the name of Colossus, and he seemed to emanate a strange sense of calm.

 

"I would bloody well have avoided such a pathetic scene, you know!" - stammered Blackadder as he pointedly attempted to tame his unruly locks and straighten his crumpled ruff.

 

Your captain, hands placed on his hips and squeezing his toned buttocks, looked around at the lot of you...

 

"Right then, as our shiny metal friend here suggests, everyone sit down, we have much to discuss" -he signalled to for a hearty round of beers..." [F/N] I want to know every single minimal microscopic detail about the heist."

 

You exhaled and closed your eyes...

 

The mission had initially gone unusually smoothly. You had managed to acquire some very delicate information regarding the whereabouts of one of the mythical road poneglyphs, and certain decisions that took place at Marijoa. You had managed to slip aboard one of Big Moms monstrous galleons... Unnoticed. A feat only a handful of meticulously talented rogues could pull off. You were perfectly adapted for the job since your devil fruit was uncanningly well-flitting for delicate operations of espionage.

You had managed to creep behind the inside panelling and could easily sneak around unseen via various air ducts. Since the ship was nearing the coast of a known island, on the fourth night aboard you finally attempted to ransack the captain's personal chambers. Your operations had so far gone fairly fluently...

Perhaps someone had noticed that a few provisions had disappeared from the kitchens, but you deemed it somewhat unlikely, since the whole damn whip was comestible.. The only way anyone could possibly notice your presence was if they possessed ad immensely refined colour of observation...

As you slipped into the antechamber, your senses tingled... Was it excitement? Or foreboding? Either way, you had to get your hands on some classified material, so you lightly crept forward..

You located the bed, a massive mound of lumpy duvets were piled unceremoniously on top. You slunk sneakily towards a sturdy desk made out of...chocolate? Repressing the desire to take a bite out of it, you rummaged around the various maps and notes, hoping to find something of interest. Alas, nothing.

However, you felt somewhat drawn to the king-sized bed.. You inched forward, feeling a bit uneasy. You noticed another chocolate piece of furniture.. Stretching out your hand, the sense of unease tingling ever more in the depth of your gut, you opened one of the drawers. You gently sifted through it's content and laid your eyes upon a peculiar hand-drawn map. Without thinking twice, trusting your initial instinct, you pocketed the parchment for later inspection. The other drawers yielded nothing of interest, if not a very small vivre-card. You took that too.

As you slowly closed the drawer you hear a distinct but sleepy sigh.. SHIT. With the utmost prowess, you turned to find the source of the noise. Laying in the massive ben was a man with a sort of slit which ran from cheek to cheek, canines visible...

 

"Excuse, could possibly repeat that? A man with a massive scar you say?" -enquired Blackadder, not without a hint a sarcasm.

"Uhm yes, he also happened to be holding a massive half-eaten doughnut in one hand too" - you added thoughtfully.

 

"WHAT?!" both Domino and your captain blurted out, the former slapping to hands on his cheeks to emphasize surprise. Domino, visibly perturbed by your statement, leaned in further :

" [F/N]?! Do you even know who the guy is?!"

"No, not really. You know my knowledge of the New World is somewhat lacking..."

Blackadder groaned, Colossus sighed... Domino pinched the bridge of her nose:

"Look....Look.. I get that you were cut-off for most of your life, but you really don't get how damn serious the situation is"

"Then elaborate" you said, somewhat irritated by everyone's reaction.

"Ok, so this guy.. this monstrously tall dude.. Did he have short purple hair? Perhaps a couple of tattoos? Kinda handsome? "

"Yes, yes and what?!" You answered, gesturing incredulously at her last comment. "And for the record, in my perspective, you're all freakishly tall."

The whole lot of your nakama groaned in unison. You captain, sighing, placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, and squeezed gently:

"You are so fucked [F/N]".

"OHI! What the bloody hell?! Damn, things can't be that serious, I'm an excellent combatant and can bloody well take him on!" -you answered fiercely, crossing your arms.

Colossus, who had kept fairly quiet up till now, spoke up:

"[F/N] all of us know how worthy you are, but you underestimate your enemy. But perhaps things are not as bad as we perceive them, after all this man did not see you, am I correct?"

"Uhm...... " you nervously rubbed your arm.

Colossus put his face in his hands, both Domino and Blackadder simply looked defeated. As for your captain, well:

"Like I said [F/N], you are very much fucked. But please, do tell us the rest of your story" - he stated, sipping from his tankard of beer.

You observed the man's face for a few seconds to determine if he was in fact sleeping... His breath seemed regular and you couldn't detect if he was conscious. You relaxed. Eyes scouring over the man, you noticed he was holding a half-eaten doughnut... How odd. However, something caught your attention. He wore an interesting pendant which fell upon his large tattoed pectorals..and seemed to have some handwritten letters in his other hand. You inched closer, you could now distinctly smell his breath. It reminded you of liquorice. Your deft hand reached for the pendant and with a very delicate motion so as not to wake the man, you pried open one of the chain links. The pendant was yours, now for the letters.....

Again, you deftly began to gently pry open his fingers. You noticed how, even though he was asleep, he possessed immense strength. You started to slowly tug at the letters. Inch by inch they became loose from his grip. But something was a little off...and you realized his breathing pattern had changed, no longer regular and drawn out. As you turned to look at the captain, your eyes locked: his gaze was still confused by sleep, but he was quick to react. A massive hand shot out and grabbed your arm, but in that precise moment, through sheer instinct, your right palm jerked towards his face and you cried out:

"CONFUNDUS!"

His head jerked back, he was momentarily stunned. You had to act fast. Snatching the letters, you made a break for it...

 

"YOU DID WHAAAT?!" Domino screeched, standing up.

"Are you absolutely INSANE [F/N]?! I CANNOT believe you actually assaulted one of the Sweet Commanders....." -groaned Blackadder.

You nakama were clearly very flustered...

"But I do not understand, why you didn't have necessary information on your mission?" -inquired Colossus.

You turned to your captain, as did the rest, a look of slight abashment on your face..

"Well technically we weren't expecting the likes of that dude on board, we were oriented on a Charlotte Raisin or, at the very most, Cracker..." -he stated, mater-of-factly, still sipping on his beverage.

"So...what happens now?" you asked, guessing that whatever the answer was, it probably wasn't in anyway positive.

"Well.....You infiltrated yourself on a major vessel, you stole priceless maps and letters, you also stole a valuable object directly from this guys chamber, he caught you in the act and then you manipulated his puny-sugar-dependent brain making him lose consciousness. Something tells me Yonko Big Mom will want your head for this."

"Oh.." - was all you said, thoroughly taken aback, thinking of how yet another very powerful entity now probably wanted you dead.


	3. Un unexpected decision

The following morning, you were abruptly woken up by the sound of a fist pounding on the thick wooden door of your room. You were still floating in that fine limbo between consciousness and ignorant bliss, but inevitably you regained awareness of your surroundings and especially your predicament.  
"OHI [F/N]! Come on mate, breakfast is waiting, plus Zarya and Junkrat have finally reached the island" -said a deep, slow voice. You recognized who it was from the moment he started hammering at your door.You bounded towards the door, wrenching it open, a muscular bionic black man stood before you, hands on hips. A tender smile upon his face.

 

"Doomfist!" - you cried, hugging your nakama."Captain told me you wouldn't have been able to reach us sooner than the end of the month!"

 

"Well, you know me, I like to finish work early, being precise and all that" - he smiled gently at you. "[F/N]? You doin' ok honey?"

 

"I take it Captain filled you in on the latest events, I guess?""That he did.." he sighed, "what's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does." -was all he said.  
Words failed you as you couldn't express how much you appreciated his soothing words; you knew your crew would go to great lengths to protect you.. As you would them.  
"[F/N], let's go down shall we? Captain wants to discuss our next move.."

 

Yawning widely, you followed Doomfist down wooden stairs, floorboards creaking. The tavern was far from full, a few patrons were scattered here and there eating their breakfast or deep in mysterious conversation. You walked over to your crew and sat down at the old wooden bench, still sleepy and a bit groggy from last night's drinking.

The enormous host traipsed over to your group:

"Righ', wha'll it be for breakfast then?"

You opted for a substantial meal of fried eggs, toasted whole wheat grain bread, a bowl of porridge, an array of various nuts and dried fruits and freshly squeezed local fruit juice; you needed your sustainance and not even the threat of a Yonko looming over your head would sway you from having a healthy and rather full breakfast. The host lumbered over with a massive tray and laid out the various wooden plates and bowls, tankards, flagons and flasks; he looked at you beadily:

"Ya know, I never woulda guessed ye were part o' this crazy bunch... Ya seemed so innocent a swee', I just thought ye were like some sort'a historian with all yer maps and notes'......" -he trailed on.

 

"Aye, I didn't mean to deceive you, but I have good reasons to be a pirate. And who's to say I'm not a historian or an archaeologist? Or something along those lines".

 

He squinted his dark little eyes at you, as a couple of your crewmates chuckled.

 

"Are ya then? Oh, I've met plenty o' pirates, you mark my words.. Some are decent folks, I'll give ya tha'... I once met a wonderful gal, dark black hair, amazin' blue eyes.. Very kind, gentle person she was. Hated by the world governmen', seemed to be on the run.. Not quite sure why, bu' she did mention she was passionate abou' archaeology...I sometimes think abou' you adventurers, riskin' yer life at sea.."

 

"Well, I can't really tell you... But I think I'm right in stating that freedom is the one sole original inborn right belonging to every man in virtue of his humanity.. I'd rather die young and free from the shackles of oppression than live to one hundred without ever having truly lived a day of true independence."  
At this quote, your nakama fell silent, nodding in agreement. Your captain, fingers intertwined, seemed most attentive. But you didn't just feel their attention, you also perceived that others were listening in on your conversation too; somewhere in one of the dark corners, you noticed a group of shady looking individuals whose interest had peaked. Curious as you were, you pulled up your hood, munching on a few nuts, and refined your observation haki to identify their intentions. Meanwhile, the enormous host, stared at you, a bit bewildered:

 

"Well I.... I guess yer righ'..."

 

You smiled at him gently. He returned the smile: "I best ge' down to some cleaning now, you lot have a good breakfast then" . His eyes seem to shine a little more intensely, he seemed to be somewhat moved by your strong words.

 

As he left, chatter broke out at your table. Your captain was a little less boisterous, which was uncommon of him. You discussed the latest events, how Blackbeard had taken control over various portions of the seas, how the World Government seemed ever more restless. You all agreed that inevitably, the world had reached a turning point and how the future seemed unstable. Not that you personally were worried, on the contrary, your hatred for the elite classes filled you with rage and you desired nothing more than to witness the structures of domination crumble...No.. You wanted to be there when the world was turned over, fighting sword in hand. You would go to great lengths to see that day arrive. All of you would.

 

 

"[F/N] you've barely touched your food, that's very uncharacteristic of you" -stated Blackadder, cocking an eyebrow.

"Wha?"

 

"I'll finish it!" -said your Captain, fingers twitching, a grin etched upon his face even though none of you could see it.

 

"HELL NO!" you blurted out, and began wolfing down eggs, toast a porridge.Both Blackadder looked at you, lip curling:

 

"Can she actually be less feminine?"

 

You peered at him slyly: "As a matter of fact I can", letting loose a rather rude burp in his direction.

 

Your crew burst out laughing, all except Blackadder of course, who looked thoroughly disgusted and muttered: "tsk, typical, just typical".

 

"Remember to chew dear" - chimed in your Captain.After filling up on breakfast, your Captain called for attention...

 

"Ahem: my dear nakama.. It is time to discuss our next operation. We've gained a notorious reputation in this last year and as you all know [F/N] is the member with the highest bounty" he nodded in your direction. "So we've figured it's time to form an alliance" he stated, gesturing to both Collusus and Domino.

 

Your eyes widened. The others fell quite silent and seemed to look anywhere but at you. You also noticed that the group of men in the corner were all looking towards your table.

 

"What kind of alliance do you mean, exactly?" - you were clearly none to convinced about this decision.

 

"The kind where two or more pirate crews with the same plan in mind shake hands and agree not to kill each other" -grinned your Captain.

 

You glared at him dangerously:

 

"I know the bloody definition of an alliance."

 

"Look...Everyone forms alliances in the New World, that's just how things work. We need more influence and to gain terrain if we want to make it out alive" -he said, pounding a fist on his other hand.

 

You rubbed your temples:

 

"Do we really need to make a pact? Every one of us here is exceptionally strong, and besides that, most pirate alliances end up with a backstabbing"

 

"But that won't be the case, because I trust all of you and know you can handle the situation no matter what."

 

Your eyebrows knitted, you could tell your captain was avoiding telling you something crucial...

 

"Explain. Who are we forming an alliance with?"

 

Domino was staring at the ground.. Your captain drummed his fingers on the wooden table."Why..They're here in this tavern right now, how about I introduce them to you?"

 

You curled your lip, you were definitely not happy. Your captain turned towards the men on the other side of the room and gestured for them to come over to your table. You heard the typical screech of wood on wood, boots thudding on the uneven floorboards. Five aggressive looking men made their way over, their captain in the lead, brilliant red hair crowned his head. An angry sort of grin was etched on his face.

 

"Deadpool" - he said in a low threatening voice.

 

"It's captain Deadpool, do I have to remind you?"

 

"Whatever you say, captain."

 

You glared at the men before you. No, you were definitely not pleased at all.

 

Deadpool turned to you all: "Guys, these are the Kid Pirates, why don't you introduce yourselves to them?"

 

A few of your crewmates nodded in their direction. You just glared at them.


	4. Parting ways

An uneasiness hung in the air. You studied each of the ferocious individuals before you and did not like what you saw, not one bit. You crossed your arms and leant back against the bench, assuming an aggressive stance, lips taught thin.

 

Domino, sensing your displeasure, decided to intervene so as to break the ice:

"Look, why don't you guys sit down with us, let's all try and work things out, ok?"

Two of their crewmates looked at their captain, seemingly awaiting a command; however, a masked individual sporting a wild mane of blond hair spoke up:

"That sounds great, let's order a round of beers shall we?"

Domino offered him a warm smile.

Though you couldn't see his face, just like with your captain, you could sense the man was smiling too; this exchange between the two didn't go unnoticed to you. But despite his brutal appearance, the masked man had a peculiar calm and collected aura about him. For a moment, you felt less threatened.

Their captain however simply grunted and dragged out from under the table, a heavy wooden chair, causing a screeching sound to reverberate in the tavern. The brute sat right in front of you, a cocky unmerciful smirk on his face, legs wide open and a muscular pale arm leaning on his chair.

Your eyes narrowed, but you weren't going to allow this brash, overconfident punk intimidate you, and maintained your solid posture. 

The other crewmates, sensing their captain approval to join your lot, sat down as well.

" 'Kay, so as I was saying, these are the Kid Pirates. Kid pirates, these are my nakama: Domino, Blackadder and Collusus you're all familiar with, this is [Y/N]" -stated Deadpool, gesturing towards you.

Captain Kid didn't spare any pleasantries and simply nodded in your direction. His other crewmates seemed less inconsiderate, one even smiled at you. The masked man, however, intervened once again, tending you a hand:

"I'm killer, pleased to finally meet you".

Finally meet me?

You shook his hand in return, and enquired:

"I've heard things about you, they call you massacre soldier" -a slight hint of cynicism in your voice.

He shrugged:

"It's just a nickname, it doesn't have much of a profound meaning".

You didn't quite know what to make of this statement. Was he a crass and hardhearted man who cared next to nothing of those people's lives he took? Or was this nickname of his a product of misinformation propagated by the World Government? It wouldn't be the first time something like this happened, you knew that all too well...

You hummed in response.

"Why the eagerness to meet me?"

At this, Killer cocked his head at you, your nakama also looked at you, a hint of worry on their faces. So there was more to this alliance than you were initially lead on to believe. The blond was on the verge of replying, when his captain cut in, scoffing:

"The conditions of our alliance imply that you'll be joining us on the seas. I expected something else when I heard of the great "Furiosa " with a fucking 666,000,000 Berri warrant..."

Your face darkened and you bared your teeth. Noticing your reaction, he brutally laughed:

"Now that's interesting... Your captain didn't tell you, did he?"

You glared at him, and standing up you turned to your captain, a furious blaze in your eyes:

"You better have a fucking impeccable reason to back up your decision. "

Kid grunted in laughter:

"You should respect your captain, girly. You won't stand a chance with us with that attitude of yours".

Anger mounting, your captain noticed how your hand twitched, ready to pull out one of your blades. He put a gentle hand on your shoulder and whispered:

"We'll talk about it later, I didn't get the chance to tell you last night".

It seemed that Killer noticed your reaction too, and walked over to your side of the table:

"Kid, the news clearly shocked her, you can't expect her to process this so fast."

"Whatever, I'm just warning her." -he sneered.

You could tell that Killer was nervous, as were the other crewmates. Kid seemed unperturbed but didn't insist further.

 

You turned to your captain:

"We talk now."

"Wouldn't you like a round of beer first? You know, to relax?"

Your eyes narrowed dangerously once again:

"I said NOW. And besides, I've just had breakfast."

He sighed, but conceded.

"We'll back shortly, you lot get along now"

And with that, you began leading the way towards the stairs. Deadpool trailed behind. Once upstairs, you lead him to your room, crossing your arms waiting for him. He stood in the doorway momentarily but, hanging his head low, entered:

"[F/N], I am so sorry... I know you're livid with me, and you have every right to wanna behead me right here and now, but I had my reasons."

You stared at him furiously for a few more seconds, but your defence crumbled. You let your arms collapse limply by your side, your face fell, a grimace of anguish upon it. Even though your features were distorted by your tribulation, you still looked exceptionally beautiful...

"Why would you do this to me, Wade? After everything I've been through.. That we've been through.. You just through me to the dogs..."

Deadpool massaged his temple, in reality you knew that this was one hell of a decision he didn't really want to make..

"[F/N], just let me explain, ok? You have to realise that I had to take a chance and make some sacrifices"

Anger got the better of you though:

"Sacrifices?? Damn, why does it have to be me? Sometimes I feel like you're oblivious to what happened to the both of us, as if nothing ever were!"

You knew you had struck a cord, you clenched your fists.

Deadpool sighed:

"Forgotten?"

He slowly peeled off his mask.. It had been a long time since you had seen him without it. His face was a melted mess of burned skin, he no longer had eyebrows or eyelashes. Though you loved him like a brother, you couldn't but think that his features were absolutely hideous.

"How can I forget this [F/N]? Not a day goes by that I don't dream about what happened... It torments me day and night. I will never forget. Not after what they did to me, not after they took her away from me..."

You looked at him sadly:

"What now then?"

Deadpool put his mask back on and recovered a bit of composure.

"Look. I already knew about what happened that night on that galleon. Word spreads very fast, and apparently, Katakuri has got it in for you. You know how information travels though, things become obscure and unclear; but one thing seems to be sure: he doesn't want you dead, but he does want you captured..." -he trailed on.

A note of panic hit your voice:

"C-captured?! Why?!"

"You seem to have peaked his interest. Mabey because of your skills, I don't know exactly. But if Big Mom were to find you, and she knows that you're my nakama, I'll bet you anything you'll be forced to be bound to her servitude for life...

The very thought made you shudder... Servitude. No, you wouldn't go through with that. Not again...

Deadpool carried on:

"Our best bet is you joining a rooky crew, it's unexpected. They won't think to search for you there, at least for a certain period of time. In the meanwhile, you'll be heading towards new territory with the Kid Pirates. If all goes well, you'll reach Wano country and there, you know what to do"

Your bright eyes widened. Wano. A powerful, isolationist country, unaffiliated with the World Government. So many secrets and wonders were there, waiting to be discovered and brought to the world.

However, a thought of doubt insinuated itself in your mind. You looked up at your captain:

"Wade... There's something I don't get though; Big Mom knows I'm your nakama, she'll be after all of you."

You felt a knot of worry grow in your guts.

"We've formed more than one alliance [F/N]. We'll be splitting up for a while, to keep safe. It's the only measure we can currently take. But I'm sure this will all go to our advantage, I have a cunning plan in mind." -he said, tapping his nose knowingly.

Of course the man had everything meticulously planned out. Despite his appearance and ridiculously comical take on life, he was highly astute and his Machiavellian strategies were all methodically calculated.

You knew you could trust him. You sighed and closed your eyes:

"Alright Wade... I'll go through with it."

Deadpool took your hands in his and placed a carefully packeted envelope in your palms. Looking at you dead in the eye, he said with the utmost gravity:

"This letter contains information on all our whereabouts and, most importantly, where we shall meet after the initial phase of our mission is completed. You have my vivre card in the envelope too, but nobody must ever find out it's mine... Remember: no one knows my true identity.

You'll also find a map and various instructions. The information you gathered during your heist, I shall keep and we shall use it next time we meet up. The Reverie is close at hand and it's fundamental we be ready. "

You looked at him knowingly, and nodded.

"[F/N]... If anything happens, you get our of there fast, pact or nor pact: no regrets, you bolt. Always trust your instinct and remember: trust..."

" ... takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair " - you said in his place.

"So don't trust them, even if we do have an alliance in place, understood?"

"Understood."


	5. Departure

"Hello Killer. I'd like to discuss a few, uh, details" -said Deadpool, almost aloof, leaning against a wooden beam on the upstairs landing. Various voices and clinking of plates could be heard from the hall below.

The massacre soldier was caught off guard, he hadn't sensed his presence. However, he betrayed no emotions and casually turned to the other masked man:

"Such as?"

"Such as [F/N]. She'll be staying on your ship for quite a while, and you promised me she'd be in no danger, do you recall?" - Deadpool's voice was loaded with venom.

"I recall, and yes, she's safe with us. We made a pact and we'll keep it" -said Killer shortly.

"The thing is, that captain of yours has one hell of a temper... And if he were to hurt her Killer, then I would consider it a declaration of war between us..."

Killer retorted defensively, a note of anger rising in his voice: "I know my captain and I can handle him, got it? No one will touch the girl."

A sharp blade suddenly jabbed his back, drawing blood.

"Listen carefully you daft fucking punk, if anything happens to her, I will personally resize your anus, understood?" -whispered Blackadder from behind, his voice mortiferous. This wasn't just a threat, it was a promise. Now, this was unforeseen. "This is just a warning, but my daggers are usually well coated in venom. You keep that in mind next time you answer back to my Captain, is that clear blondie?"

Droplets of sweat formed on his thick neck, a few veins swelled, pulsating nervously.

"Lower your blades Blackadder, he got the message."

Killer felt a rise of heat in his back. He was no stranger to pain, but he couldn't deny he was unsettled by the fact that he was oblivious to the presence of a potential enemy behind him. He chose his next words with caution:

"I will personally take it on myself to ensure her safety, I understand how much you care about her."

Deadpool took one immense stride, shortening the distance between him and Killer, invading his personal space:

"You've got that fucking right. If I get word of anything I'll gauge out your captain's eyes and face fuck him. You know I'm fucking capable."

"Now now boys, let's not pressure him too much, after all, we're supposed to trust each other. " -Domino stepped out into the corridor. She had been observing the whole scene in the shadows, and Killer was none the wiser to her presence either.

Deadpool slowly backed off, pointing an index in Killer's direction:

"I'll be watching you."

She slunk forward, almost flirtatiously and settled a delicate hand on the massacre soldier's chest:

"I believe you when you say you'll do your best in protecting her, but she is more than capable of gutting every one of you."

Her lips were taught in a provocative smirk, her voice was silky but powerful.

"Then what's the point of me protecting her?" -he replied, confused.

Domino studied him for a few moments, then smiled:

"You'll figure it out sooner or later."

And with that, she turned and headed for the stairs. She glanced at him one more time before descending, and winked in his direction, a mischievous glow danced in her dark eyes. Killer observed her, fascinated by her prowess and ambiguously abstruse choice of words. He then turned to face Deadpool and Blackadder, but both men were nowhere to be seen, as though they had dissolved into the sombre shadows. He sighed in relief.

 

Departures were always a burden, a mingled sense of melancholy and loneliness tormented you, so you resorted to your favourite method of intimate mindfulness: honing your blades. In your room, an assortment of weapons was scattered over your carefully placed canvas cloak; there were two modest daggers, a couple of boot knives and a small but lethal switchblade, a pair of obsidian twin swift axes and most importantly, your pride of possession, an extraordinary unique bastard sword. Despite the nomenclature, it was an impeccable piece of work and seemed to have been moulded for you alone. Upon its blade were etched peculiar symbols, which reminded you strongly of the lettering inscribed upon the rio poneglyphs you had seen when you were younger; the glyphs were exceptionally faint, barely visible and were observable only when capturing incident light, emanating a subtle azure glow in response. It truely was an astounding work of art; aside from its sharpness, the steel held great strength but was wonderfully light weight; a dark distinctive rippled pattern set it apart from any other weapon you'd ever seen. What amazed you the most though, was the fact that although the sword was clearly very old, it kept an especially keen edge, seemingly remaining sharp forever without the need for honing.

You observed your weapon, transfixed, reminiscing to the day you had chosen a name for it: Blackfyre.

A sudden knock on your door brought you back to reality, you nervously picked up your elaborate pipe* and began to light it:

"It's open."

Deadpool stepped inside and observed you seated cross-legged on the floor, pipe jutting out held between your teeth, sharpening stone in one hand, supple leather cloth in the other.

You cocked an eyebrow at your captain.

"[F/N], it's time to go, they're waiting for you."

You turned an nodded.

He was on the verge of leaving you to your final preparation, but had a change of heart; he turned back:

"[F/N]?"

"Yeah?"

"A quick word of advice: avoid using your devil fruit abilities. Or atleast, limit your use of them with subtlety. Only resort to your full-blown power if the situation becomes dire."

You sighed. You were more than capable of defending yourself without employing your powers, but you always found that having to restrict yourself felt unnatural.

"The thing is [F/N]..."

"...I'd be recognizable and therefore vulnerable. I know." -you cut in.

He nodded:

"You've always been perspicacious, put your intelligence to good use when you're out there on the great blue yonder. I'll see you downstairs."

 

Evening began to descend on the little tropical island, a light breeze was building up, you wondered if perhaps it would gain momentum and transform into a blazing storm. You reached the main hall, a worn out canvas rucksack over one shoulder. The Kid Pirates were at their usual dark corner once again.

Killer signalled you to come over:

"[F/N], I see you've packed, are you ready then?" -he said, not unkindly.

"Aye" -you nodded, deciding to keep your answers short.

Kid was studying you, his vermilion eyes raked over your figure, they looked almost serpentine. His angry glare swept over you, absorbing all your details, but you felt him pause when he perceived the glint from your weapons in the flickering light of the candles. Most of your blades were cautiously disguised in your garments, but your sword was well in sight.

"You look odd for a female. And that greatsword doesn't suit a girl." -he grunted, in disapproval.

"It's a bastard sword, it surprises me you didn't recognize it." -you retorted, voice heavy with irony.

His eyes narrowed fiercely, anger rising:

"You calling me a bastard, girly?"

You pulled out your pipe from under your heavy cloak and lit it with a match. You inhaled a deep breath of smoke and blew it out from the side of your mouth, cocking an eyebrow at him:

"And so what if I am?" -you answered boldly.

Kid's men tensed at your reply, the blue-haired man's jaw hung unnaturally agape. A few seconds passed by, you could tell their captain was weighing his options. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Killer was poised, waiting to intervene if things turned for the worse.

But Kid decided to laugh it off, throwing his head back, flaming red hair dancing about his face.

"You've got more balls than most of the men I've killed, I'll give you that" -his features suddenly transformed into a dangerous scowl: "but don't get too cocky or I'll make you regret your choice of words."

You titled your head to the side:

"And I suggest you not underestimate me, don't think you're the only one to have ever killed someone". You took another puff from your pipe: "And I'll dress however I bloody like, if that's a problem then look the other way."

An overconfident grin worked its way onto his face, dark lips stretched over his blanched teeth:

"Fine by me, but you look more like a man than a girl, it's a shame for a pretty little thing like you."

That comment definitely annoyed you, but you played it cool. You certainly didn't want this brute to have the upper hand.

"Sounds to me like someone's masculinity is fragile." -you teased.

You could tell by how his face fell, vein popping in his temple, that you had struck a cord. Killer placed a hand on his captain's shoulder, but he shook it off:

"I'm warning you girl, your captain might be able to protect you here, but on my ship you'll be completely alone."

He did have a point. Your expression became ominously serious:

"I don't need anyone to protect me." -your voice low. There was no room for lateral interpretations, the message was clear: if need be, you wouldn't hesitate in unsheathing your sword in defence, even if it did mean the alliance would be broken.

Kid eyed you, but seemed to thoughtfully ponder your words. He seemed intrigued but you couldn't tell what he thought of you. Not yet at least. You were guessing that you made an interesting first impression, it was most probable that these men had never met a woman of such calibre.

Kid leaned back on the wooden bench, arms splayed back as he hitched his heavy duty boots up on the table:

"We set sail at dusk, we have the advantage of a full moon rising. I expect you to be by the docks within the blue hour. "

You puffed lightly on your pipe and nodded:

"Aye."

 

 

You dined with your nakama for one last night, though you didn't really feel like eating much. Zarya and Junkrat hadn't made it on time to give you their goodbye, so you sat gloomily with your mates, sipping on some red wine.

No one really felt like talking, you all sat in a troubled silence as the minutes slipped by.

You stared, mesmerized, out the grubby window, watching the last light slowly evaporate into darkness.

"It is time, little one" -said Collusus gently.

you nodded, still slightly transfixed on the sunset. You stood up, heart heavy. So did your nakama.

"I don't want anyone to come down to the docks with me, it'll just make things harder for me. I have to go alone."

They exchanged looks between each other, Doomfist looked on the verge of protesting but Blackadder shook his head at him:

"Very well [F/N], we understand".

And with that, the entire group bounded forward to embrace you. Both Domino and Deadpool tearfully sobbed, squeezing the air out of your lungs. They hugged and kissed you, jostling between each other in an attempt to give you their best wishes. It was a very emotional moment, and try as you might, you couldn't hold back the tears. At that moment, you realized just how much you loved them and how much you'd miss them...This wasn't like any other mission you'd been on, you didn't know how long you'd all be separated.

You took a heavy breath and blew your nose. You nodded knowingly at your friends, a deep understanding was established between you all. They stepped back, and you bravely walked to the entrance of the tavern. You turned to them one last time, beaming at them, eyes glinting with tears:

"I'll see you soon".

And with that, you opened the heavy wooden door, hinges creaking, and stepped out onto the beaten path. As the door closed behind you, you even heard the tavern keeper howling with sadness.

 

 

*Ok so the idea is the pipe looks just like the one Merry and Pippin smoke.


	6. Bad moon rising

You marched along the beaten track, hood held high over your head concealing your face. Only your long pipe, embers glowing feebly, betrayed your presence underneath the heavy cloak. The few individuals you crossed along the road seemed barely to notice you at all.

The scent of sea brine and iodine enticed your senses, you were close to the docks now. You stole through some of the wild vegetation, your supple leather boots deft on the uneven ground; in the distance you could hear the rolling of the tide and towards the horizon, a full moon was birthing. You paused, puffing on your pipe, cinders rekindling. You took a deep breath and descended to where various ships were anchored, the sound of the waves slapping upon the great wooden constructions. Setting sail always filled you with emotion, the great oceans in your eyes were the definition of sublime: an infinite expanse stretching further than the mind could imagine. Two years you sailed the seas, no home, no regrets. Ultimate freedom.

 

As you neared the crew, your eyes travelled over the monstrous vessel, studying its structure; it certainly wasn't one of the most pleasantly aesthetic of ships, but it was sturdy and robust. It reminded you strikingly of its captain. 

None of the men seemed to realize you had arrived. You recognized two very familiar voices, deep in heated conversation, and paused a moment eavesdropping:

"Kid, she'll be here, the moon has barely even risen." -said the first.

"I don't give a shit, this fucking alliance is a farce, we set sail in fifteen minutes. I want all supplies onboard and my men ready to set out."

Under your hood, you smiled. You neared the ship, treading lightly.

"Kid come on, be reasonable, what's the problem with her coming on board anyway?"

"I'll tell you where the fucking problem is, she's a woman and women are weak and feeble, notoriously they're not to be trusted." -Replied the captain, voice full of resentment.

Killer sighed. It seemed to you that this wasn't the first time they clashed on the subject.

"Look, I get that, but she also has an unusually high bounty, that must mean something for fuck's sake!"

"666,000,000 Berri? Fuck that, I'll bet you anything she didn't earn that bounty, she just crossed some very powerful man who now wants her dead. She's a liability..."

He wasn't entirely wrong, you had made some very influential people extremely angry. But a most of them were six feet under ground by now. 

Kid turned angrily to his first mate, crimson eyes flashing with enmity in the pale moonlight:

"... That fucking bastard Deadpool probably wanted to get rid of her to save his own fucking arse."

Killer paused to ponder his captain's words, you could tell he was mulling things over:

"I say we give her a chance, you're being to rash. I'll make sure she proves herself, you can pass judgement then." -stated the massacre soldier, crossing his arms.

A sly grin surfaced on Kid's face:

"You better not be going soft on me now, Killer..."

You decided you had heard enough and confidently walked in their midst, making yourself noted:

"Is there a problem?" -you said, softly.

Both men started, Kid spun around glaring at you:

"Wha-?! When the hell did you get here?!" - his voice incredulous.

"On time, thats when."

Killer began chuckling under his musk, the sound came out oddly muffled. Kid on the other hand, kept staring at you in disbelief. How had you managed to creep up on him without his haki warning him?

"I told you she'd be here..." Gesticulating towards you, he invited you to come on board: "I'll show you around, you can leave your bagages in your new dorm."

The both of made your way towards the ship, leaving Kid behind..

"Dorm?" -you asked uneasily?

"Well technically it's a spare cubbyhole next to the captain's lodgings, but It should be sufficiently cosy."

You grimaced lowering your hood further. Next to the captain's lodgings. Wonderful.

Once on the main deck you observed your surroundings, studying the various details. You noticed that red seemed to be a predominant colour, especially the more sullen tonalities; you also spotted various carvings of skulls in the woodworks, you found this somewhat macabre but didn't disdain this aesthetic choice.

"Kid sleeps in the deckhouse, he prefers to have immediate access to the deck in case anything happens..." -said Killer, gesturing towards a large cabin.

Boots clacking on the boards, the massacre soldier described various parts of the ship. You weren't entirely listening to him, but you noted a few words such as "Mainmast", "swing guns", "crow's nest" etc etc.

"These are your quarters" -he said, opening a thick little wooden door, hinges rusty and encrusted with sea salt.

You cautiously stepped inside the stuffy little cabin. To claim it was spartan would be a euphemism; a tiny grubby porthole barely let any light filter inside. There was a little wooden bed, a desk and a block of wood to be used, you guessed at least, as a night stand. That was it.

"It looks more like a broom closet, but I'll make it work" -you shrugged.

"Well, to be blunt, it was a broom closet." -he replied, sarcastically.

"I appreciate your honesty."

"I'll let you get comfortable, shall I? Later I'll give you a chart of various tasks, we take turns here to cover certain duties."

"Fair enough, but I'm not cleaning up after anyone, so don't bother trying to get me to swab the decks."

Killer rubbed his head, you could sense his embaressment:

"Uhm, well, Kid had just that in mind, I'll have to talk it over with him."

Your eyes narrowed dangerously, you raised an eyebrow:

"Did he now? The reason wouldn't perhaps be because I'm a women, would it?"

"You overheard us, didn't you?"

"You're more perceptive than I initially thought." -you paused a moment, and opted for a more direct and empathetic approach, after all, you would be living in close quarters with these people: "I understand that you're captain doesn't trust me, after all it is rare to find a woman capable of taking care of herself...But I do thank you for standing up for me, even if you no nothing about me."

At your words, Killer seemed somewhat abashed. 

"Okay, let's break even then and make a pact: no demeaning jobs, but you'll help me out in the kitchens and take turns with Heat and Wire as the lookout. Deal?"

"Deal, massacre soldier." -you smiled at him and shook his calloused hand. It was rough and powerful, but had a certain warmth to it.

The man nodded curtly:

"You're allowed anywhere on the ship, except the captain's quarters and his workshop right above. That's his personal space and unless he requests you there, you stay clear."

"Fair enough, I'm not one to pry" -you joked.

Killer shook his head:

"I seriously hope you're not as much trouble as Kid claims."

You laughed at his comment, crossing your arms:

"You'll just have to wait and see, then you can judge for yourself."

Sighing, the masked man began to take his leave. After a few couple of steps though, he turned around at you:

"[F/N]? Sorry for the uhm, broom closet, its the best we had. The alternative would have been the dorms where our men sleep, but I doubt any woman would accept those circumstances."

Your eyes softened, his attempt at being kind threw you slightly off guard:

"I didn't think you were the compassionate type, massacre soldier...It's fine really, I've slept in worse conditions to be honest." -you rubbed your wrists, ugly memories surfacing.

He simply nodded, and left you to unpack your belongings.

 

Inside your little wooden cabin, you began setting out your possessions and a few precious books you had decided to bring with you. There wasn't much space, but you managed to make do with what you had; after all, necessity is the mother of invention, and with that, you began stacking books and hanging weapons on the sturdy nails planted in the wooden planks. 

Your bed was actually far more comfortable and snug than you expected. You laid a few extra woolen blankets and a vibrantly colourful crochet rug on the floor. Last but not least, you turned to the darkened porthole, and with a little elbow-grease, began to scrub it clean. 

Placing a candle on the wooden block beside your bed, you observed satisfied your new living quarters; all in all, your room had definitely improved, though still a little frugal.

 

After some time, you heard various orders being shouted... You cautiously decided to exit your cabin, to see what the commotion was all about. On deck, men ran from one end of the ship to the other, several where manning the sails, others were raising the anchors. Your eyes traveled over to wheel at the stern of ship, ivory moon baring over the helmsmen; there stood the captain among them, his most trusted by his side; blood red coat billowed in the wind, he roared order at the top of his lungs, towering over his men. His face fierce, and wide powerful chest were illuminated by the moon's eerie rays, making him appear ghostly pale. Glaring down at his men, a vicious smile was upon him as wild flaming hair danced around chaotically. He resembled some demonic hellion, yet you couldn't help but think he looked impressively striking... Almost like some magnificent beast, of sorts. 

In that moment, he turned and both your eyes locked. For a few heartbeats, you remained transfixed, captivated by those wild sanguine irises...

You suddenly broke away from the contact, and walked over to the railings, not daring to look at the captain again. You took in a few deep breaths, you felt perturbed. You stared out at the great black sea, and watched the soft waves oscillate under the night sky...

A few moments past, and you began to notice something was a little off. You looked up towards the enormous moon, it was tinged with red. A presence was behind you...

"It's a blood moon" -you said softly, turning to the somber man, clad in a dark head-dress, an odd assortment of fishnets across his chest, and morbidly tight leather shorts. 

He too observed the imbued celestial body, nodding slowly, his expression grim:

"Aye, it is. And it isn't a good sign."


	7. Ramen and Knives

You raised an eyebrow at the man towering before you; he was monstrously tall, you judged roughly that he surpassed his captain by about a meter. He slowly set himself beside you, leaning on the railings.

"What do you mean?" -you enquired.

"To set sail with a blood moon is a bad omen...." -he replied solemnly; "...to have a woman amongst the crew is to bring misfortune upon us."

"So are you suggesting that the presence of a blood moon is in some way a premonition or a warning?" -you questioned.

He turned to look at you, his expression indecipherable:

"It is uncanny though that a blood moon should rise tonight, when you joined us."

You laughed sarcastically:

"The blood moon is nothing more than a naturally occurring phenomenon, it happens periodically. If your captain had chosen to set sail tomorrow, there would have been an opalescent full moon. There's no link whatsoever, it's just a simple coincidence, the rest is superstition."

He tilted his head at you, his face slightly less dejected, perhaps even curious...

"You certainly are strange for a woman..." - he drawled.

You turned to face him fully, crossing your arms and leaning on your hip:

"What did you expect?"

Wire raised both eyebrows, he almost seemed surprised.

"Something more feminine I suppose. When your captain initially spoke of you, we thought you were a male... And after it was made clear that you weren't, we thought you were coming on board as a pawn...or...as a guarantee of Deadpool's alliance ... not as...as an equal."

He seemed to find difficulty in finding the right words, as though he himself still couldn't believe he had to treat you on par with his crewmates.

You frowned slightly at his statement, it was very clear to you that none of these men wanted you among them. You felt a pang of loneliness, and your face fell slightly:

"I don't understand why your captain would accept the terms and conditions of the alliance if my presence here makes all of you so uneasy."

The man clearly wasn't expecting such a bluntly direct answer, he looked at you confused, unable to find the right words. Instead, he chose to quickly close the conversation:

"I have work to do now, you should prepare for supper." -was all he added.

At that, you felt quite crestfallen, you didn't expect the conversation to be interrupted so abruptly. Wire was on the verge of taking his leave, when he suddenly blurted out:

"Is it true you're as tenacious as Deadpool told us?" -eyes widening with curiosity.

A wide grin spread on your face, eyes twinkling:

"Well, I don't what he did tell you, but one thing is for sure: they wouldn't call me Furiosa if I wasn't worth something."

He stared at you, incredulous for a few moments, and hummed.

 

You laid comfortably on your bed, lazily smoking your pipe as you read a thick volume entitled "The New World, a history" an artistic depiction of the second half of the gran line on its cover. Idly, your eyes skimmed over the handwritten calligraphy, the pages were fairly old, fragile corners turning ochre. The book smelled of vanilla, with a slight floral fragrance too. You delved ever more into the pages, absorbed by the wonders it contained...

An unexpected knock tore you out of your daze.

"Yes?"

The door creaked open, it was Killer, candlelight dancing over his bronze body framing him against the darkness outside.

"Supper will be ready in ten minutes, care to join us?" -he enquired.

"I'll be down in a few moments, I just want to finish this chapter first."

He looked at your book for a few moments, then added:

"Your room looks very snug, I see you've adapted already."

You smiled at the blond, and closed your book, settling it on your cushion and getting up.

"Didn't you want to finish your read first?" -he asked.

"I lost the thread, I might as well come with you."

He chuckled at that:

"So sorry to have interrupted your leisurely reading, but since this is the case you can come down to the kitchens and help me out."

 

You followed him down to the kitchens, which you noticed were unusually well kept for a savage pirate crew. Surprise must have shown on your face because Killer then asked:

"What, did you assume something unkempt?"

You nodded, admitting that you weren't expecting such order and cleanliness of the kitchen.

"I'm not Kid, you know" -he scoffed: "Don't tell him I said that", making you laugh out loud.

"Tonight it's sea king ramen, a speciality of mine. You can ladle out the soup into these bowls, place them there on the pulley. After you're done, go get yourself a seat upstairs in the refectory.

The both of you worked in silence, preparing the various servings. You couldn't help but notice how delicious the ginger broth smelled, making your mouth water; every bowl had two perfectly cooked eggs marinated in soy sauce, grilled sea king fillets with sesame seeds sprinkled on top, finely chopped and fried sea-weed and a portion of hand rolled noodles. The more bowls you filled, the hungrier you became. You had to hand it to the second in command, he was damn good at cooking.

You eventually decided to break the silence:

"I have to say, your quite the chef."

"Wait till you try it", you could have sworn you perceived him wink at you: "Right, we're done here, go sit down and grab a bowl."

Your spirits lifted, perhaps the voyage wasn't going to be as bad as you had initially imagined.

You reached the refectory on the upstairs landing, and gently pushed open one of two sturdy double doors. Inside, it was chaos. The Kid pirates were more numerous than you thought, though most were just low ranking scoundrels. An irritating clamour reverberated in the hall, shouts and yells were being thrown out by men whose mouths were wide open stuffed with chewed food. The loudest of them all was their captain, who sat above the rest on a rough wooden mezzanine, obviously with his closest men. He roared and laughed, as he drunk wine from his cup, a few drops trickling down his mouth. He definitely looked barbaric.

You hesitated for a few seconds, then crept in lightly, searching for a spot to sit down. The loud ruckus suddenly died down, an angry murmur replaced it. Most of the men avoided you, only a few eyes looked at you with great distrust. You swallowed, feeling out of place. 

"May I sit here?" -you inquired, indicating an empty seat.

" It's taken." -growled the sailor, grabbing the chair and pulling it under the table.

"Very well." - you answered begrudgingly.

You tried another spot but got an answer on the same lines.

You scanned the great hall, it was very obvious nobody wanted you next to them. Everyone seemed to either turn away from you, shake their heads, or stare at you scornfully.

Your eyes wandered up to where the captain was sitting. He had stopped eating and was observing you, a look of mixed satisfaction and disdain on his face. Killer was completely ignoring you, eating his noodles; so was Wire, seemingly disinterested. Apart from Kid, the only one looking at you was the shaggy-haired individual, bone ridges visible on his forehead; his dark eyes sunken in his skull were mournful. He seemed on the verge of speaking, his mouth opening slightly, but his captain shot him a wary glare and he refrained; he closed his mouth which seemed to extend all the way up to his cheekbones.

You grimaced defensively and marched over to the far end of one of the massive dinner tables, where nobody else sat, grabbing a lone untouched bowl of ramen on the way.

"OHI, THAT WAS MINE!!" -yelled one of the crew.

"You've already had three bloody servings!" -you spat back viciously, looking at the pile of dirty bowls in front of him.

The man stood up furiously, meat knife in hand:

"I'LL FUCKING GUT YOU, CUNT!" -he started at you.

Slamming your bowl on the table, you turned to him, teeth bared and strode right up to the dull lidded pillock, invading his personal space. Though he was much taller than you, you defied him and stared him down:

"Go on then, do it." -you whispered menacingly.

"Wha-?!" -he spluttered, confused.

The entire hall had gone deadly silent, all eyes were on you.

"Do it." -you said once more: "I fucking dare you."

A sweat broke out on his ugly face, eyes stupidly flitting from you to his mates. He squeezed the knife in his hands, in a pathetic attempt to pluck up the courage and pointed it at your face.

"Don't think I won't, I ain't afraid of fucking up some female." -he stammered. He clearly was afraid though.

Your eyes darkened, but before you could react, Kid roared out:

"ENOUGH!!!" -slamming his hands heavily on the table, the sound echoing against the walls.

The man jolted, and turned to his captain, but paled.

"SIT."

He did as he was told, fear etched upon his face. Well, at least Kid knew how to control his men.

You glared up at Kid, as he in return glared down at you.

"LISTEN UP YOU FILTHY MONGRELS, MY ORDERS WERE CLEAR: STAY. THE FUCK. AWAY. FROM HER." -pointing his index at the man who threatened you: "You, come here. NOW!" - and then turning to you: "Grab your food and eat in your cabin."

You didn't much like the idea of following his orders, but the situation was already extremely tense. You didn't have much of an appetite anymore either, there was hardly any point in staying.

"Fine." -you answered bluntly, turning on your heals and leaving.

As you closed the door behind you, you paused to listen. You could hear the man stammering for forgiveness before his captain. His cries broke as the sound of a man being beaten, fist on flesh, reached your ears; he had clearly lost his senses.

You trudged sadly up the crooked stairs, the cold night air stung your face. The blood moon loomed over you, it seemed to ridicule you. A few of the crewmen on guard watched you curiously.

You headed to your cabin an entered, throwing yourself on your bed. You didn't even bother to undress nor light the candle; your eyes trailed up at the porthole, you could still see the blood moon tormenting you.

 

On the table in the refectory, your bowl of ramen, forgotten, began to cool down.


	8. Secunda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so for this chapter, I've selected my favourite piece of music from Skyrim; as you read the first paragraph, it'll become clear as to what it's for. I chose the name of the chapter based on the title of the soundtrack:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDu9OOz7kxk
> 
> Hope you all enjoy <3 
> 
> ************************************************************************************************
> 
> ************************************************************************************************

The night was dark and full of terrors. You twisted and turned in your blankets, your face covered in tiny droplets; your expression was one of anguish, your breath ragged. Unwanted dreams plagued your sleep, they transformed into nightmares, the kind where you feel trapped like a rat in a cage, and desperately ran to no end. Figures of the past emerged, chasing you...

You woke with a start. Your clothes hung to your sticky body, you wiped off the sweat from your brow with a trembling hand.

Dream, it was only a dream...

You were still breathing heavily, trying to regain control over yourself. You got up and began rummaging around in your rucksack, searching for a particular possession... Finally finding what you were looking for, you pulled out an exquisitely polished wooden sphere; its surface was checkered, each little square was of a different kind of timber. You sat crossed legged on your bed, the feeling of anxiety still clinging to you; in the cabin adjacent to yours, you could hear the captain snoring and grunting in his sleep.

You pressed one of the little wooden squares, and the sphere began to unfold to reveal a glass ball; in the lower half was a wonderfully elaborate and intricate system of tiny gears which began to turn, ticking lightly. Inside the top hemisphere was a model of a mountain upon which lay a little red dragon...

As the gizmo came alive, the miniature dragon began to move: it spread its wings, then opened its mouth; tassels of bright yellow and orange paper flew out of its mouth, simulating a breath of fire. It then shut its jaws and little puffs of smoke emerged from its nostrils. As it did this, a gentle music began to play... 

You watched the little dragon repeat the same motions over and over again, while listening to the soothing yet sad music.

You slowly began to relax, your heart beating slower. All was calm. Kid was no longer snoring.

 

The following morning came all too soon. A timid sun tried in vain to break through the dense fog, the first light, glaringly bright, invaded your room. You had slept with the little music sphere* in your hand. You got up groggily and placed it on the desk; you wanted to wash and change, but before you could figure out where to find a possible bathroom, you heard a soft knock on your door.

"Come in." -you said sighing.

No one answered.

You furrowed your brow. You walked up to the door, and opened it, but found nobody there. Instead, on the floor, was a warm bowl of ramen, vapour rising. You picked it up gently and looked around to identify the one responsible for this gesture... No one seemed to be awake yet, the sun had barely risen.

You gingerly picked up the bowl, sniffed it and brought it inside. Was this some sort of a joke they were playing on you?

But there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, apart from the fact it was clearly the bowl from yesterday and was reheated.

You stared at the ramen for some time, as though expecting something nasty to happen. But all in all, hunger was getting the better of you, and even though you weren't keen on the idea of having a savoury dish for breakfast, you carefully picked it up and took a sip of the broth. The liquid warmed you, it was delicious; you began to wolf down last night's meal. After you had finished, you sighed with satisfaction; you felt much better now, the ginger broth had calmed your nerves.

The ship began to stir and you heard various voices; clearly, everyone was slowly waking and preparing for the day ahead. You decided that you would have to postpone your bath, and with messy braided hair, you walked on deck searching for Killer, ramen bowl in hand.

He was at the helm of the ship with Wire, discussing something. As you neared the two men, the former left and nodded at you as he passed.

Killer studied your untidy look:

"Rough night? I see you ate your dinner at least, though you could have just gone down to get breakfast you know."

Your forehead wrinkled slightly, your first impression was that Killer had left that bowl there for you, but judging by his words, you were wrong.

"I didn't sleep very well." -you answered flatly.

He hummed, looking at you from head to foot:

"I can see that. Well, today you've got it easy, you can go up to the crow's nest as the lookout for today. There's a fair amount of fog, so there isn't really much to do."

You nodded solemnly:

"Fair enough. I guess it's best if I keep to myself until the men get used to my presence."

"They won't bother you anymore, Kid made sure of that last night." -he answered firmly.

You acknowledged him and began to head towards the lookout post, high up:

"I guess I prefer to be ignored than be called a cunt..."

You couldn't tell what Killer was the thinking, but he called out after you:

"Someone'll bring you lunch, Heat will take your place later on in the day. You can bring that book of yours up there, if you want..." -he trailed on.

That didn't sound too bad, at least you could catch up on some reading and distract yourself from the night's previous events.

You headed back to your cabin, and noticed that the door to the master quarter's was slightly ajar; above, a dim glow shone from the portholes of Kid's office. You raised an eyebrow. How long had he been in there? You could have sworn you were one of the earliest to rise... You shrugged off your doubts and went to fetch one of your books.

You climbed up into the crow's nest. Like many other of the rooms, this one too was very spartan; it was circular, so as to guarantee a 360° view. You sat yourself down on the bench, and peered out onto the sea: thick plumes of fog rolled by, you could hardly see further than a few couple of meters. Worse of all, there hardly seemed to be any wind at all. The ship was stuck in the doldrums.

"It's a bad omen" -you recalled.

No, this was just coincidence, a bout of bad luck, nothing more...Though you wondered how the rest of the crew would take it.

 

Time seemed to trickle by as you scanned the deadened panorama. A short while later, you became bored and decided to catch up on some reading; there were some interesting details you wanted to study about devil fruits... You had read somewhere, some time ago, of how it was impossible for a human being to consume two fruits, yet Marshall D. Teach had managed the unattainable, shocking the entire world.

After what seemed like several hours, a curt sharp knock resounded from the hatchet. You leapt up and helped in opening it, a mess of cobalt hair emerging. The morose man, ever silent, had brought you some food. Not unlike Wire, he too was taller than his captain, though not so imposing. He laid a tray down on the floor and looked up at you, as if waiting for you to say something...

"Uhm..thankyou." - you attempted, kindly.

Again, he seemed on the verge of saying something, opening his mouth slightly, but again, deciding against it. He closed his mouth and averted his gaze from you to the ground.

He then nodded as if to acknowledge your gratitude and left.

Such weird interactions...You just couldn't figure them out.

Your lunch was simple and frugal, but fairly good, a hearty plate of spaghetti aglio, olio & peperoncino*. Picant. You smiled.

You eventually became so absorbed in your book that you hardly noticed the sun setting. The fog was thick as ever, but took on a strange pinkish hue which veered to crimson at a certain inclination.

Everything seemed to be red here...

You sighed, waiting for your turn to end...Again, it was Heat who appeared through the hatch, and again, no words escaped him. You tried to remember if you had seen him talk to his captain, but failed; you began to wonder if he was capable of speech at all.

You took your leave, dismissing yourself. Heat watched you descend and gestured a half wave at you.

 

As you walked across the deck, you noticed how the men glared at you slyly. Probably most of them would have gladly slit your throat and thrown you overboard, or worse, raped you first. Some of them brandished heavy metal utensils, lusting to strike out at you, the invader...

Faster than they could perceive, you extracted your obsidian axes and held them lightly in both hands. You wanted to get a strong message across: you were more than capable of killing every single one of them.

As you marched towards your cabin, playing with your weapons in hand, the crewmen retreated to the shadows and continued with their work, avoiding you. Good, they seemed to have understood your subtle message.

Before you could reach your lodgings, however, a voice called out at you:

"[F/N]? Why have you got those weapons unsheathed?" -it was Killer.

"I'm sorry, is a girl not allowed to walk around on a hostile pirate ship with a little extra moral support?" -you answered, faking innocence.

"Kid assured you no one would touch you, there's no need. I already told you this morning." -his voice was firm. "And besides that, my presence here is sufficient to keep our men in place, even if Kid is absent."

You raised an eyebrow and noticed that the captain was still in his workshop...

"[F/N], you're making them more uneasy and agitated, just put your weapons away..." -he tried to reason with you; and seeing your sceptical face, added: "You could kill any one of them without using a single blade, I know you can."

You sighed heavily but conceded:

"Very well massacre soldier..."

"That's better... And about all this massacre soldier business, just call me Killer would you?"

You pinched the bridge of your nose:

"Yeah ok... Look, I wanted to ask you, I don't seem to have a bathroom of my own, and I've been up in the crow's nest all day... Do you get my drift? I'll need to shower too."

"Uh, yeah, about that..." -he answered, embarrassed once again. "You can either use my bathroom or Kid's...Though his is far nearer to your quarters... And I doubt you'd want to share the communal showers...So..."

You suddenly tensed at his words. This was one of the inconveniences you really weren't prepared for.

"You'll have to talk with him though, and figure out some kind of arrangement."

You began rubbing your temples, anger rising. Sensing your distress, Killer quickly mitigated:

"...For now just use mine, you'll find my cabin on the landing beneath, you'll recognize the door...Does that sound better?"

"Fine. Fine, I'll go now... Only the gods know what I must have done in some past life to deserve this..."

He chuckled at your statement, but you couldn't help but laugh a bit with him.

As you set off towards the stairs that lead to the lower landings, you noticed Kid had been observing the both of you. His expression was odd, you couldn't place your finger on it...

You walked past him, feeling his eyes on your back.

 

Like his kitchen, Killer's living space was orderly and spotless. You got the impression that the blond was more the brains than the braun. You took your time in the bathroom, relaxing under the hot jet of water, absorbing the heat.

After a well-deserved shower, you returned back on deck, stomach grumbling. Dinner was definitely going to be a bit of a problem since you were hardly welcome in the main hall. You should have mentioned something to Killer when you had the chance...

"[F/N]?" -called out Wire, crossing your path: "Captain requested your presence, in his quarters."

You hummed at him, nodding.

With caution you approached his door, and..hesitated. You closed your eyes for three seconds, then rapped your knuckles against the sturdy wood.

"Enter" -he growled lowly.

Inside it was absolute anarchy. Bits and bobs of machinery were strewn here and there, mechanical utensils, maps, a few dirty jugs, notes were all randomly piled on a great wooden desk. His great bed was a complete mess, sheets crumpled at the bottom, and cushions crammed at the head. You padded lightly avoiding the chaos. Kid himself was leaning against the frame of a door. He watched you, amused, as you carefully approached him.

"Apparently you're unhappy with your living arrangements." -his voice was rough and provoking.

You looked up at him bewildered:

"What? I never said any such thing." -your brow furrowing.

"I heard you and Killer talking." -he added.

You scowled at him:

"So? I only asked him where I could shower, it's obvious I can't use the crew's toiletries."

A subtle smirk played around his lips, but his eyes remained poised. He seemed to enjoy the idea of toying with you.

"You can use this bathroom" -he indicated with his thumb at the room behind him. What a relief...

"Twice a day. Once in the morning when I'm done, once in the evening before I retire. In any other circumstance, you ask my explicit consent. And I want my bathroom cleaned, understood?"

You pinched the bridge of your nose. Damn your arse, Deadpool...

"Well, if this is your standard of cleanliness, then it shouldn't be a problem." -indicating the conditions of his room.

That certainly wiped off his cocky smile...

"No wonder everyone hates you, don't be so surprised if my men would rather have me crush that pretty little face of yours."

Ah. 

You felt heat rising in your cheeks as a pink tinge dusted them. His words stung more than you cared to admit.

"If I were you, I'd avoid eating with us, this time I might not interfere and save you. " -he added, scornfully.

Save you?!

You grimaced, outrage building up in your chest. You wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of the arrogant bastard in front of you... But decided against retorting, nothing would come of it. Shaking your head, you turned and left. It was going to be another difficult sleepless night.

 

 

*technically it's a music box, but since it's spherical...

** Aglio, olio and peperoncino is an Italian dish and translates to "spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper". Here in Italy, it's considered a very simple and hearty dish. Apparently, it's one of Killer's favourites!


	9. Kitchens and conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> * For the sake of the story, I suggest reader have green eyes, since green and red are complementary colours.

Relegated to your room, another sleepless night came and went, the pangs of hunger made your stomach clench. You had been up all night sifting through the venerable tome, searching for a delicate piece of information; but to no avail, it appeared several pages were in fact missing. As day broke, you huffed lightly and gently close the heavy book, placing it by your bed; you figured you would have to find another copy, though it was no simple quest. You softly blew out your candle, made your bed, and dressed in fresh clothing; like always, your style was parsimonious and discreet, earthy and sandy colours dominated, the cloth your garb was composed of was simple linen and cotton; the stitchings were strong. You wore a large beige and chestnut hooded scarf. Under your loose comfortable clothing, you wore an old leather chest piece as armour. Satisfied, you slipped your boots on.

If truth be told, you were nothing like most girls you had met on the seas. You donned no makeup and your attire was the exact opposite of provocative. Domino often hassled you to be more feminine, but sensual or seductive clothing never really pertained to you, you simply felt out of place.

You lightly stepped out of your cabin, on deck silence reigned supreme. Heavy clouds burdened the skies, and a wispy fog encompassed the ship; again, the current was weak and the wind dying, you were still stuck in the doldrums although the dark and murky nebulosity above was usually a sign of an upcoming storm. In the New World however, the weather was unpredictable.

Since hardly anyone seemed to be awake, now was an excellent time to head down to the kitchens; you felt the need to go unnoticed and decided that employing your devil fruit powers was the smartest option.

"Shadow meld" -you whispered quietly.

You crept ethereally down to the refectory, pausing behind the giant wooden doors to study eventual presences through your haki of perception; it would seem that a few people were indeed awake. You passed by, towards the kitchens. Once there, you took a breath of relief; you noticed someone had already prepared breakfast for the crew and decided to take a helping for yourself; you swiftly devoured the serving, but was still fairly hungry. So you began exploring the pantry in search for something delectable to nibble on; you found a wheel of cheese and some excellent honey, just what you loved; you sliced into the crust, a strong aroma reached your nostrils making your mouth water, the cheese was well aged. You cut out a hearty slice with your dagger, and sat down at one of the stools grabbing a chunk of bread on your way out of the pantry. You smearing honey on your cheese. Utter bliss. For a few moments, you completely relaxed, closing your eyes, revelling in the taste of your little banquet.

As you opened your eyes once more, you found Killer in front of you, arms crossed and apparently staring at you. You suddenly stopped chewing, mouth stuffed with food, your eyes wide.

"So... We have a cheese thief onboard." -said Killer sternly, though his voice betrayed the fact that he was amused at the sight of you.

Struggling slightly, you gulped down your mouthful.

"I was still hungry, I didn't have supper last night." -you replied, guiltily.

The blond uncrossed his strong arms and chuckled:

"I know, it's okay, you can eat whatever you like, you have my permission."

At his words, you blushed profusely. You always felt resolutely embarrassed when someone was kind enough to offer you food, courtesy of your harsh past; you felt a wave of gratitude towards the masked man. Eyes diverted towards your food, not looking at the blond who was now busying himself with various tasks around the kitchen, you softly replied uncertainly:

"Th-Thank you." 

"What's that? I didn't hear you" -came Killer's voice, as he emerged from behind a stack of crates.

You lifted your head up to look at him:

"I said: thank you." -your face sad.

Killer observed you hesitantly for a few seconds:

"You really are strange for a woman..."

You laughed bitterly:

"I know, I've heard that phrase a million times before."

Killer tilted his head:

"It's not necessarily a bad thing... It's just... unusual to encounter someone like you. It's as if... as if..." - he seemed to struggle to find a fitting description.

"...I don't belong?" -you ended.

"I suppose so, yes. But like I said, it's not necessarily a bad thing, only some people find it harder to accept you."

"Like Kid?" -at the thought of his captain, you felt your heart spasm, you felt nervous.

Killer sighed:

"I'll level with you: Kid is...let's say complicated, shall we? He's not unlike you, actually...You're both very strong-willed; both of you want to prove yourselves...I'm fairly sure you're ambitious too. And both of you have had a difficult life, growing up." -he said, knowingly.

You eyed him sceptically, distrust lined your face.

"How do you know all these things about me?"

The massacre soldier simply shrugged:

"I've gotten very good at reading people." -he replied simply.

Killer was certainly insightful and perceptive, but to you, he was a stranger and you didn't much like the fact he had figured out so many things about you.

"The thing is [F/N], these characteristics are more common in men, it's not a surprise your presence here is a bit threatening. You don't dress like a woman either, people don't really know what to make of you."

Your face darkened, but he did have a point and you acknowledged it.

"I'm aware of the fact I don't fit in massacre-, sorry, Killer." -you fiddled with your dagger absentmindedly. "I miss my nakama." -you added, sadly.

"It's understandable." -he replied, shortly.

You looked up at him, your expression a mix between puzzled and bothered:

"Why are you being so kind to me? You barely even know me and I'm clearly an intruder on this ship, your captain obviously can't stand me, nobody talks to me... Why are you being nice?"

Killer walked up to the polished work counter, leaning both hands on the surface. He towered over you, muscles rippling, tanned skin taught over his bulging pectorals.

"I vowed to look after you onboard [F/N], and I'm a man of my word."

You clenched your fists, disdain evident in your bright [*e/c] eyes, a wave of anger washed over you:

"So that's it? You promised to care for me and your niceties are just a product of a pact you made with Deadpool?" -your voice laden with animosity.

To your surprise, Killer began to chuckle spiritedly:

"You're also feisty, I'm starting to grow on you." -he said, as a tanned strong hand reached out and ruffled your hair.

"HEY, stop that!" -you said, swatting at his hand.

He laughed at your disgruntled expression.

"I don't need anyone to look after me." -you mumbled, trying in vain to straighten out your locks.

The tall hunk of a man scoffed at you:

"If you really don't need anyone, why do you care so much what I think of you?" -he asked, slyly.

The question caught you off guard, your cheeks betrayed your embarrassment as they became dusted with a gentle pink hue.

You muttered something about "keeping things civil", but Killer clearly wasn't convinced. You sighed heavily, massaged your temples, and closed your eyes. You had to admit to yourself: you had barely spent two days with the crew and had many more months ahead of you... and you felt very lonely...

"I wouldn't mind having a friend, I guess" -you spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.

Killer didn't reply, merely looking at you through his mask. Mortified by this display of weakness, you suddenly straightened up resolutely and tried to remedy your confession:

"Look, it's fine, I can handle things on my own, just don't tell anyone I said that, ok?" -your voice was serious.

"You're a lot more similar to him than I care to admit."

You felt Killers smile upon you.

"What??"

"Nothing, now enough of these sentimentalities. Finish your cheese, thief, I need a hand around the kitchen today."


	10. Contact

Out on the deck, rain poured down from the ominous skies. You pulled down your hood and let it wash over you; you began to feel a much-needed release of tension as hundreds of tiny droplets struck your skin in unison, rivulets of water streaking down your hair and neck. You closed your eyes for a few moments, listening to the sound of rolling thunder high up above.

You had spent the entire morning and afternoon with Killer, assisting him around the kitchen, making various preparations. You even shared a quick luncheon together, chatting about the New World and the four axes of power; Killer was fairly knowledgeable so you seized the opportunity to learn a thing or two. You couldn't help but appreciate the man's company, you almost began to feel affection for him.

After your shift in the kitchens, Killer had asked you to take the shift up in the Crow's nest after dark. You still had a few hours of free time though...

"What the hell are you doing?!" -a harsh voice cut through your thoughts.

You quickly turned, Kid was standing a few feet away from you in the rain.

"Nothing, I was just thinking." -you answered, earnestly.

By now, your hair was a completely sopping mess, loose strands clung to your face, your clothes too were sodden. Kid observed you, but you noticed the absence of anger in his eyes. A cruel wind began to lift, it's crispness biting. You thought you must look absolutely ridiculous...

"You're drenched." -he stated flatly.

You wiped the strands from your face, you began to feel the penetrating cold as the temperatures began to drop. Kid was bare-chested, water ran down his thick neck and pectorals, his usually unruly red mane wilting slightly over his face. You couldn't help but stare into those deep vermilion eyes of his...

"You're soaked to the bone, go wash up and dry off." -he growled.

"But-"

His eyes narrowed, brow furrowed:

"I'm giving you permission to use my quarters."

You stood there, staring at him, slightly bewildered, but this seemed to anger him:

"Did I fucking stutter? I won't say it twice, just fucking go!" -he barked at you.

The moment was broken and you assumed a defensive stance, grimacing at his rash outburst; you shook your head disdainfully. As you brushed past him, you perceived his hesitation and he laid a heavy hand on your shoulder; the sudden unexpected contact made you recoil, you stared up at him enquiringly, but didn't waver. Kid rapidly withdrew his hand, he seemed uncomfortable as if this display of physical contact was some sort of sign of weakness; whatever retort he was about to throw at you, he bit it back, challenging your questioning gaze...

You looked at each other for mere seconds that felt like an eternity, [e/c] irises opposed to sanguine ones. You felt your heart pulsing ever faster, your chest felt painfully tight as if your ribcage was too small to contain it. Although a continuous flow of rain kept inexorably crashing down over the both of you, your mouth felt absurdly dry, words seemed to fail you. Kid's gaze became more intense, eyes flitting back and forth, searching yours; defiant and demanding. But you stood your ground, intrepidly. It felt like the both of you were waging a battle of unspoken words, his temerity versus your resoluteness. Mixed emotions surfaced within you, you felt angry towards the man, but you also felt something indecipherable which intimately unsettled you.

What did he want from you? You felt yourself losing yourself in his gaze, you were losing the war, lips slightly parted, heat rising in your cheeks despite the bitter cold. You could almost see the warmth in him...

Kid suddenly retracted, breaking the contact, his eyes once more steely and unyielding. He held out a heavy solid key:

"Return it immediately once you're done."

Holding out your hand, you felt both the cold of the metal and the heat emanating from his hand.

He turned away from you and marched towards the helm of the ship, barking orders at his men.

You felt your hands burning, a tingling sensation stung your fingertips. You clenched your fists a couple of times, in an attempt to drive away this unwanted and uncontrollable feeling. What did all of this mean, and why did you find it so difficult to react when you were around him? You violently shook your head as a means of regaining some control over yourself; you turned and walked, quick paced, towards your cabin...

You barricaded yourself inside, dripping water over the already uneven floorboards. You held the key in your hands and studied it for a few moments, curiosity getting the better of you, the small metal object was battered and rusty in several points; you noticed how the shoulder and cuts of the key were more intricate than the average... You couldn't help but wonder if it was a master key perhaps, and moreover, if it would give access to the captain's private workshop. You strode over to your rucksack and extracted a piece of parchment; you quickly jotted down a sketch and a couple of notes regarding its characteristics. You were fairly skilled in the art of lockpicking, especially in virtue of your devil fruit, but one could never be too precise; the more information you gathered, the faster you could resolve a lock without a key.

You smiled at yourself. You couldn't quite figure out why, but you felt a compulsion to find out more about Eustass Captain Kid, and what better place to start than those spaces where he spent most of his time alone?

You gathered a few fresh and warm clothes, and a great cape to dry yourself with, heading towards the captain's quarters. You inserted the key into the lock, and turned; the sound of the inside mechanism clinking and tinkling gave you a satisfied shiver down your spine; you flipped on the switch and a dim yellow light flickered on. The room was still disorderly, clothes lay rumpled in a pile in one of the corners. You headed towards the opposite side, and walked into the washroom; to your relief, it wasn't nearly as disastrous as you anticipated, on the contrary, it was fairly austere. Underneath a porthole was a metal tub, next to which was a simple rug.

You placed your clean clothes upon the only available chair and began to fill up the tub with hot water. You felt more like having a bath than a shower. You turned to shut the door but noticed to your dismay that Kid apparently ha no need for one. You held your breath and faltered.

Could you trust him?

You didn't really have much choice, the only other alternative to ask Killer if you could shower in his room.

You hesitantly began to undress. At least you knew you could trust your haki of perception, if worse came to worst.

You gently lowered yourself into the tub, heat expanding through your body. After a while, you began to relax, as you washed your long strands of hair. You closed your eyes, lifting your guard and drifting off slightly. After all, you had hardly slept in two very stressful days...

You sense of haki began tingling, but before you could react, the sound of the door slamming and heavy boots marching inside snapped you out of your drowsy state. Panicking, you jumped out of the tub and frantically tried to dry your body as fast as possible. Kid had obviously forgotten you were in his quarters. His breath was heavy and sounded nervous. You heard him sifting through some mound of paper and cursing violently. As you rapidly dressed, your hair still drenched forming puddles on the floor, you heard his heavy steps coming your way...Shit...

"Confundus" -you whispered, hoping that the long-range action would have some effect and give you enough time.

You heard him slowly stop, your heart beating wildly out of control; you swore under your breath.

You heard him mumble something incomprehensible, as though he had forgotten something. You finally managed to dress completely, and attempted to peek around the corner; You saw him rubbing his head, his face slightly confused.

"Kid?" -you said, hesitantly.

It was clear from the expression on his face that he was surprised to see you.

"The fuck?! What the bloody-"

You quickly intervened before he could rage against you:

"You said I could use your washroom, you gave me your key." -you tentatively stretched out a hand to return it to him.

"Oh... Yeah. I forgot." - he answered, brow furrowed, and took the key from your hand lightly brushing your fingers.

You felt a spasm in your chest as he touched you.

"I'll just go then, it's my turn to be lookout." -you walked past him, towards the door.

You had almost reached the other end of the room, when Kid abruptly stopped you:

"Wait." -his voice rumbled low in his chest.

You tentatively turned to look at him, a sensation of trepidation mounting in your gut.

"Yes?"

"I heard music coming from your room, the other night." -it was more of a question than a statement.

"Yeah, I just...couldn't really sleep, is all."

Kid hummed and nodded, not looking at you anymore, his attention now focused elsewhere.

Again you turned away from him, twisting the handle to leave.

"It sounded nice..." -the tone of his voice had a softness to it, completely devoid of surliness and effrontery, almost gentle.

You stopped dead in your tracks, but only half turning towards him:

"Yes...Yes, it does sound nice." -your voice slightly downcast. It hadn't been a very good night.

"Do you listen to it often?" -he asked, with genuine curiosity.

You sighed gingerly:

"Sometimes... Just when... when I'm not feeling myself."

He hummed, but added nothing more; you left him to his thoughts and headed to the crow's nest.


	11. Three of a kind

You deftly climbed up the riggings, hands slipping and your vision blurry as the rain hindered your movements. Though you donned leather garments, it still seemed that the trickles found a way to reach your skin. You punchedopen the hatch, hauling yourself inside the crow's nest, your breath heavy. Inside the circular room sat Heat, merely observing you. You eyed him beadily, you couldn't help but think he remarkably resembled the undead; his face morose as always, eyes sunken and sullen, skin sallow and deadened.

You nodded at him in salutation; he replied with the same gesture but remained seated.

"Your shift is over, you can go now." -you offered.

His mouth parted slightly and you raised an eyebrow at him. You began to feel slightly annoyed at his lack of communication.

"Speak, apparition!" -you gestured mockingly.

Your shoulders fell slightly as he simply looked at you, expression blank; you turned, shrugging to look out the windows, towards the horizon.

He shut his eyes and let out a drawn-out sigh:

"I can talk, you know." -his voice deep and gruff.

You jolted with surprise and spun round to face him, eyes wide:

"Holy blazes, why the hell didn't you say anything before?!" - you blurted out; you could have sworn the man was mute.

A rasping sound of laughter echoed in the room, his slit mouth was taught into a bizarre grin, his eyes crinkled slightly; he looked more human. Frowning at him, you placed your hands on your hips, but your expression was soft.

You plopped down on the bench, huffing slightly: "barking mad" -you muttered under your breath.

He laughed again, but then leaned back against the bench, hands on his knees, his posture rigid and serious.

"Tonight I stay here." -his voice sounded almost concerned.

You tilted your head questioningly at him:

"There's really no need, I can manage..."

"You haven't been sleeping, you must be tired." -was his somber reply.

He did have a point, an entire night's shift would most definitely take it's toll on you, but the idea of showing fragility bothered you:

"Alright..." -you said slowly: "But I'll stay here too, after all, it's my duty."

He hummed and nodded in agreement.

For a few minutes neither of you spoke, though the silence wasn't unwelcome. Leaning your head on your hand, you contemplated the rolling overcast clouds as cracks of lightning shattered the darkness; thunder rumbled profoundly. The moon had entered its waning phase, no longer was it full; it was barely visible, occasionally you saw a slither of silver cut past the dense gloom. Below, the inklike waves raged fiercely, crashing against the ship; an eerie mist still clung to the surface.

"I've always liked storms" -you said, dreamily, breaking the silence.

Heat turned to you:

"Not many people do." -he answered.

"What about you?" -you asked, as an electrical discharge hit the surface of the water, illuminating the man in front of you; the stark contrast between the blazing light and the shadows it cast, made Heat appear fiendish and ghostly, his pupils shrinking rapidly.

It lasted only a split second, when a bout of thunder cannonaded, resonating around the both of you.

Heat smiled once more, as the sound died down:

"Yes."

You smiled back.

"You had a tome last time you were here. I've seen it before, I believe." -he said, quite directly.

"Oh, it's a book on the history of the New World and it's treasures." -you replied, thoughtfully; "Where have you seen it before?"

He looked at you, dark eyes eager:

"Boss Captain Kid has one similar."

You felt your heart skip a beat. Perhaps that particular volume contained the pages that were missing in your book.

"have you read it?" -you asked offhandedly, trying to repress your excitement.

Heat tilted his head in thought, and hummed a reply:

"Well, no. I've never asked captain boss if I could borrow it."

"I see..."

A few hours passed by as the storm began to die down, but not a single star was in sight. You could hardly see anything towards the horizon and began to feel drowsy. Heat seemed as though he wanted to talk to you, but couldn't quite find the right moment to initiate a conversation. You sleepily looked at him through one eye, the other shut; you expression comical, as the corners of your mouth curved in a subtle smirk.

"Are you bored?" -he exclaimed, eyes almost popping.

You sat yourself upright, yawning.

"A little perhaps."

"Oh-" -at your answer, he seemed crestfallen: "Do you want to play a game of cards?"-he asked, tentatively.

The offer peaked your interest. Why not? After all, perhaps you could have a little bit of fun with him.

"Okay then" -you replied smiling.

You both sat down in front of each other. Heat pulled out a pack of old creased playing cards; the drawings upon them captured your attention, you marvelled at them; they looked oddly similar to the illustrations in your book. His long spindly fingers began to sift through them with agility, mixing the pack.

"Do you know how to play straight poker?" -he asked, voice rough.

You nodded, lying.

"Don't use your powers unless it's absolutely necessary." -you could almost hear Deadpool's voice ring in your ears. But no one would be none the wiser, as long as you were careful.

The teal haired man began dealing out the cards in front of you. You watched him, his brow furrowed in concentration as he counted.

"Ready?" -he asked as he picked up his hand.

You slyly observed him, pokerfaced. You imitated his movement and nodded.

The game began.

You had absolutely no idea how to play, and improvised, mimicking him as best you could. You decided to let yourself lose in the first few rounds, as you learned the basic rules.

"You're unlucky tonight." -he said.

"Mabey it's because of the blood moon...you know... a bad omen." -you answered, sarcastically.

Heat laughed at your witty reply.

You felt it was time to bring things up a notch.

"Let's go again, perhaps this time I'll beat you." -you added, cunningly, eyes twinkling.

"Let's place a bet."-he answered, surely and keen.

You mulled things over, pulling out your beloved pipe and herb from a hidden pocket. You eyed him with curiosity as you slowly lit a match and puffed gently on the bit, igniting the hemp in the chamber. Heat stared at you impatiently, waiting for your answer.

"Alright then. What are we wagering?" -you kept your voice cool.

He studied your form for a few seconds as if evaluating if you possessed anything of interest.

"I'd like to try your smoke, it smells good." -it was a very simple request, you felt a pang of guilt towards the man; "what do you want?" -he asked.

You hummed:

"Well... I am interested in that tome you mentioned earlier. Do you think you could procure it, if I win?"

Heat hesitated a few moments, he looked slightly worried, and stared uncertainly into your bright and curious eyes.

"I...I guess I could ask boss Kid..." -he trailed on.

You offered him a kind smile:

"Deal?" -you reached out your hand towards him, in a gesture of agreement.

He reluctantly gave you his, the two of you shook. His hand was calloused and hard, your's was soft and warm; he looked down at your hand as if seeing it for the first time.

"You have such small hands."

You retracted slowly, a bit embarrassed, and rubbed your wrist:

"Uhm... I guess so... I'm not a man, after all...Even though most of your crew doesn't view me as much of a female." -your brow furrowed at the thought of ordeal in the refectory. "No one really wants me here, I make them feel uncomfortable."-you added, remembering the conversation with Killer.

Heat's gaze seemed to sadden at your words:

"I don't mind." -he offered, almost consolingly.

You looked at him in surprise, you hardly expected this unhallowed individual to express any kind of concern towards you.

"What do you mean?" -you answered suspiciously.

"I don't feel uncomfortable. I don't mind your presence." -his reply was honest.

You bit your lip, you didn't quite know what to say:

"I-...Thanks."

He simply nodded at you:

"Let's play."

He delt out another round of cards once more, eagerly. You picked up your hand and the game began. You could tell he was rather over-enthusiastic, perhaps he was overly keen at the idea of smoking your hemp. You studied his expression and began to rekindle your power within. He seemed to lose himself in the moment, you couldn't help but think he seemed almost childlike.

After a few rounds, the game was coming to a close. You saw him grin slightly and guessed he had an excellent hand; in front of you, he splayed out his cards:

"Straight flush!" -he exclaimed triumphantly.

You slowly revealed your cards in turn:

"Hmm, three of a kind." -he said.

Under your breath, you whispered gesticulating: "induco."

"I win right?" -you asked him, slyly.

"You win." -He replied, eyes slightly glossed over.

You quickly gathered the cards, before he could realise you had hoodwinked him.

You stood up, he still sat cross-legged on the floor, looking up at you still slightly bewildered.

"I guess you'll have to get that book for me." -you grinned at him.

He eventually stood up too, rubbing his neck. He looked nervous at the thought of asking a favour of Kid:

"Okay..." -he said, dispiritedly.

Again, you felt a wave of guilt, after all, so far he was the only one that hadn't judged you.

You wrung your hands nervously, watching him sit down on the bench and stare out into the void.

Why you cared so much was beyond you, but you couldn't shake the feeling that deceiving him was unfair.

You walked over and sat down next to him.

"You can have some of my hemp." -you pulled out the leather pouch containing the precious herb.

His eyes brightened at your offer, however, he hesitated:

"But I lost, a deal is a deal."

You smiled at him with kindness:

"Take it as a gift of mine." -you said, generously.

"Why?" -he answered, both confused and doubtful.

You shrugged your shoulders:

"For not despising me, I guess."

Hungrily, he pinched some of the dried leaves out of the little sack, and placed them on some rolling paper. You watched him, his eyes alive with verve. He held the reefer between two fingers and opened his mouth...

A torrent of violent flames burst forth from his mouth, you yelped in shock falling backwards:

"WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK WAS THAT?!" -you yelled, hand clenched over your chest.

He turned to look at you, surprised by your reaction, his splint was now smoking:

"I needed to light it" -he answered as though it was obvious.

You both burst out laughing, tears welled in your eyes:

"Next time, just ask for a bloody match!"


	12. Workshop

The following morning, you awoke fairly late, alone and nestled snugly in your own large cape; you didn't recall having wrapped up in it. On the bench nearby was a plate of toasted bread and a still steaming cup of coffee; a smile escaped your lips, as you wondered if Heat had brought it up for you. Your mug of brew was still pleasantly hot, perhaps a bit too bitter for your taste, but certainly what you needed after having gone another night without supper. You bit into the buttered bread, crumbs sticking to your lips as you munched away.

The both of you had spent a good portion of the night smoking and chattering away, but you had eventually drifted off from exhaustion. You learned that the man had great respect for his captain, often referring to him as "master"; you found this quite peculiar though, speculating that perhaps he had been a former slave himself. Heat recounted numerous tales and feats of their crew, Kid always seemingly the protagonist, but a particular tale had caught your interest; at the Saboady archipelago, the crew had come upon a great auction house where chained slaves were sold to the wealthy and the powerful; pressing him further, you learned that Kid was indeed searching for someone, but that things blew out of control when Mugiwara no Luffy had struck a celestial dragon, hurling the vile individual into the air. At this, your eyes had widened, twinkling with interest; Heat, noticing your concern in the matter, had delved further into the tale, and also told you about the clash with several Pacifistas...

 

Still feeling lethargic, you stretched our your limbs in an attempt to work out the kinks in your joints. You had slept in worse conditions, but kipping on a hard wooden bench was hardly restorative. You slipped through the hatch and nimbly climbed down the riggings, jumping the last few feet and landing solidly on the deck, causing the boards to vibrate. A few men turned to look at you, their faces surprised. You nodded in salutation to a few of them, and proceded to your cabin, wondering where Killer might be.

Before you could reach your room, a short man with a mohican haircut and steampunk welding googles intercepted you; you had seen him at the tavern before the alliance had been stipulated, but you didn't yet know his name. He seemed wary and skittish:

"Cap'n wants ta see you." -he spoke fast and jittery, you noticed he had a tendency to fidget with his hands.

You raised an eyebrow at him:

"Alright then, where can I find him?" -you enquired.

The restless man pointed a bony finger up at Kid's workshop:

"In there miss, he want's ta see ya right away. Knock on the door, he don't like strangers barging in."

"I gathered that much, don't worry, I won't jump him." -you began walking towards the steel spiral staircase that led up to the above landing.

As you reached the top, you heard the mohican call out to you once more:

"Remember to knock first!" -he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah" -you waved away his comment.

You rapped lightly on the door and heard a gruff exasperated growl inside and something metallic being slammed on a desk:

"WHO IS IT?! I SAID NOT TO DISTURB ME!"

"It's [F/N], you uhm, sent for me if I'm not mistaken." -you replied with a hint of sarcasm.

From inside you heard sounds of metal and wood, as if he was clearing something up inside; the screech of wood on wood made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, goosebumps erupted on your skin as you shuddered at the annoying sound. You heard his heavy strides up to the door and thick iron bolts being unlocked.

In the frame of the doorway, Kid glowered down at you, his body impressive and menacing.

"Get in." -and he turned away from you, heading towards his desk. As you stepped inside, you couldn't help but look around in wonder at all the various gadgets, gears, motors and machinery, instruments, tools and components. Some were tinkering away, half-completed apparatuses of sorts; you judged that most of these strange objects were experiments or trial-and-error projects. Kid watched you carefully as you looked around, your mouth slightly ajar in wonder; you had to hand it to the man, he had a knack for creating and inventing...

"Did you build all of this?" - you asked, absently mindedly as you peered at some delicate piece of engineering.

Kid watchfully observed you:

"Yes.." -he answered quietly.

"And...and...you designed everything yourself??" -you added marvelling at a prototype of weaponry, your fingers tingled at the idea of using it.

He hummed throatily in assent.

You turned to him, [e/c] eyes shining with awe in the frail light:

"This is incredible, I've never seen anything like it before!" -your voice rife with wonder, smiling widely.

Kid scowled slightly, expression darkening; he seemed almost abashed at the compliment:

"It's nothing special." -he answered gruffly.

You rubbed your arm, feeling embarrassed, your face faltering:

"Well, I thought it was amazing..." -you murmered.

Kid began to run a hand through his locks, not looking at you:

"I want to talk to you." -he stated, his voice less harsh though.

He leaned both elbows on his thighs with both hands crossed together, looking up at you, his eyes were steely but hid a note of tenderness; you had the impression he couldn't quite act as sharp and brutal as he would have liked in that moment. You felt a knot in your throat as you met his gaze...

As he growled, he flexed and you couldn't help but notice his rippling muscles, everything about him was aggressive and rapacious.

"You're getting a little too bold, girl." -he rumbled.

"Excuse me, what?!" -you replied, bewildered, surprise etched on your face. Though you had a suspicion of where this was going...

"You want something of mine. Heat told me." -his voice slightly mocking, the shadow of a grin was forming at the corners of his thin mouth.

"Of course he did..." -you replied, pinching the bridge of your nose.

"My men are faithful, they wouldn't be alive if they betrayed my trust." -he sneered, but stressed the words "faithful" and trust.

His face suddenly turned serious:

"Why do you want the book?"

"To read it." -you answered flatly.

Kid stood up and took a step towards you, overshadowing your form. He was far taller than you, causing you to crane your neck to look him in the eyes. He was far too close to you for comfort, but you defiantly stood your ground scowling, ears burning; there was absolutely no way you would back down.

"I asked you a question, little vixen, and you better answer me." -his said unpleasantly.

You despised these sobriquets, anger rising and causing your face to flush.

"And I answered your question: I want to read the damn book." -you answered through gritted teeth.

You could feel his breath on you, he was definitely far too close...

"It would be such a shame to bruise this porcelain skin of yours. You're playing with fire girlie and my patience has a limit." -his voice was low and dangerous.

"If anything goes wrong, you bolt."

"I have a name. [F/N]." -your voice shook from sheer fury.

Kid placed a course hand on your face and stroked your soft cheek with his thumb, but this time you didn't break the contact. Without blinking, you glared at him unflinching, your mouth taught in a thin grimace.

His eyes softened as he caressed your skin, you felt your face burning and that unpleasant throbbing sensation mount in your fingertips. Your breath hitched and you held it, waiting...

Kid hummed and slowly lowered his hand, brushing your face lightly one final time with his fingers; he turned and walked over to a corner of the workshop, searching for something. You finally released your breath in relief, closing your eyes. As you opened them, Kid approached you holding a heavy book; he handed you the old tome, which you took gingerly in your hands with bated breath.

"It's yours. Now leave me." - you couldn't decipher his tone of voice.

Without a word, you marched out of his workshop, slamming the door behind you.


	13. Devil fruits

Furious, you marched out on the deck, eyes blazing.

"Recludo" you seethed under your breath and with a flick of your wrist, unsealed the lock on your door and slammed it open with a forceful kick. A few crewmembers watched the scene, Heat among them stared at you apprehensively, but no one dared interfere. Once inside your little cabin, you paced nervously in circles, puffing feverishly on your pipe, the embers aglow with fervour reflecting your current state of mind.

You brooded for quite a while, rubbing your temples and restlessly repeating the scene over and over in your mind. You felt as though the blasted man was tampering with your emotions. You absentmindedly touched the spot where Kid had caressed your face and blushed at the thought of how he had made you feel; you didn't like this situation one bit, you felt a loss of control over yourself.

You sat down brusquely crosslegged on your crochet rug, eyelids closed and hood pulled up over your head; you crossed your arms angrily, as though the gruff gesture would somehow dissipate your bad temper. You kept madly puffing on the bit, when a knock disturbed you:

"[F/N]? Are you ok?" -it was Killer.

A crease formed on your forehead:

"What?" -you snapped.

The door creaked open and you squinted at him through one eye.

"Can I come in?" -he asked cautiously.

You gestured irritated giving him permission. He stepped inside and gently closed the door:

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" -he asked, half concerned, half amused.

"I'm meditating." -you answered scathingly.

Apt at he was at sensing when things were off between his crewmates, Killer sighed and shrugged his shoulders:

"What happened [F/N]? Heat saw you storming out of Kid's workshop, he seemed worried."

"I'm fine." -you answered grumpily.

He palmed his mask in a gesture of exasperation:

"[F/N], you're sitting on the floor disgruntled and grouchy and your pipe has just gone out, it's pretty obvious something's amiss."

"Ask your bloody captain then." -you retorted.

Killer groaned at you:

"I will, later. Can't you just tell me now what happened though?"

You stood up hastily, gesticulating wildly:

"Honestly?! I have no idea. Initially, he threatened me, completely out of the great damn blue, demanding some blasted confession from me, as though he was expecting me to have deceived him somehow... And then...then..." you hesitated, not quite sure if you should tell him...Or wanted to tell him for that matter.

"And then?" -he pressed further.

"Nothing, he just gave me the book I wanted."-you answered quietly, looking away.

The massacre soldier didn't answer, he stood in front of you pondering your words:

"Did he do something to you?" -he asked, slowly.

"I...No...He just randomly handed me this tome." -you answered, gesturing blandly to the book laying on the floor. You began to feel ridiculous at having lost your calm.

"I can talk to him, if need be. I know my captain all too well and I know how to handle him." -you got the impression he was trying to make a subtle effort to reach out to you. But you didn't want to confide in him, a part of you wanted to keep certain things to yourself...

You sighed, tired:

"There's no need, he didn't hurt me."

Killer tilted his head at you, clearly aware of the fact you had glossed over something important, placing his hands on his hips.

"Honest... And besides, I can defend myself." -you answered bristling a bit at him.

Killer chuckled at your response, shaking his head:

"You are one tough cookie."

"Hey, I'm not a cookie!" -you snapped back, scowling and pointing an index finger at him.

Killer laughed out loud:

"That's not what I meant." -he replied.

"I know what you meant." -you squinted your eyes at him, placing your hands on your hips; "I don't like people calling me these things... Girlie, cookie, Vixen..." -you trailed on.

"Vixen? I never called you that..." -Killer caught on.

"Well no, you didn't..." -your face darkened.

The blond hummed thoughtfully:

"Okay, I understand the subject is a bit touchy." -he offered.

You sighed, your anger waning.

"It's just...I don't like pet names, they bring back bad memories. I have a name, it's [F/N]... It's tiring being treated as if I didn't have a defined identity, as if I were an object or...or...someone's property." -you explained, your tone bitter.

"No one sees you as property, [F/N], you're as free as I am." -said Killer gently, patting your shoulder.

"Then why does your captain treat me as though he owned me?" -You looked up at the masked man, sadness in your eyes.

"What do you mean?" -he asked.

"He talks to me as though he were the boss of me."

He faltered and hesitated before replying, weighing every word he spoke:

"You misunderstand him, [F/N]. He doesn't view you as property, or as an object for that matter, but he did take it upon himself to ensure your safety aboard this ship... And since you're a female, it's just that much more complicated." -he explained.

"That hardly makes any sense Killer, he's already threatened me several times." -you retorted.

The man sighed heavily:

"Communication isn't exactly his forte. And he's never had to deal with a crewmember of the opposite sex before."

You raised an eyebrow at him enquiringly. Killer carried on:

"He occasionally threatens all of us when he loses his patience, you'll get used to it."

"He doesn't just threaten, I heard him beat the living daylights out of that scrub, that night in the refectory."

"Kid requires absolute fidelity from his crew. The guy deserved it, he disobeyed a direct order from his captain, he's lucky Kid only smashed his teeth out; he could have slit his throat as an example to the rest."

You grimaced at this...

"Don't lie [F/N], you would have stabbed him right there and then with his own knife, if Kid hadn't intervened." -This was fairly accurate, you had to admit. "But like I stated before, he is trying his best to treat you like one of his men."

You closed your eyes:

 

"That's not entirely true Killer."

"No you're right, he's a bit softer with you actually, he accepted my suggestion of having you cover lookout duty and help me around the kitchen. If it were someone else, they would of had it a lot harder, trust me... But I'm guessing from the look on your face, that you weren't quite referring to that, am I correct?"

You groaned, damn the man and his exceptional knack at reading between the lines.

"Just...Drop it, ok? Nothing happened." -a pleading note in your voice.

"Whatever you say, [F/N]." -he answered, raising his hands.

"Thank you" -you answered, closing your eyes again.

"[F/N], let's just head down to the kitchens, shall we? I have work to do. You can bring down that book and read some." -he offered.

You nodded, accepting.

 

Down in the kitchens, Killer bustled around slicing and dicing various ingredients. Since he explicitly told you he didn't really need any help, you sat down on a stool, the tome in hand. Judging by its cover, it would seem that this particular volume was more recent than yours; you hoped that perhaps it contained adjourned information. You skimmed lightly through the pages; though the book had seen better times, it looked remarkably well kept. You began scouring the index, in search of the missing information you desperately wanted to recover. Your eyes fell on a certain chapter, you rapidly flipped to page 394, and began to read...

[...] though the world as we know it offers a plentiful bounty of wonderous Devil Fruits, only a few of these seem to yield greater power when compared to the rest [...]

Among the list of mentioned fruits, you recognized the Gura Gura no Mi which had once belonged to the legend Whitebeard, of whom you had heard great things. Your curiosity began to mount as you turned the page, landing on a very interesting paragraph:

[...]* Yami Yami no Mi is a logia-type that allows the user to create and control darkness at will, making the user a Darkness Human.

The Yami Yami no Mi is a large, round, light purple fruit made up of many small teardrop-shaped components with swirl patterns, and green leaves sprouting from the top. Its overall shape and appearance closely resembles a bunch of oversized and teardrop shaped grapes.

This fruit is considered "unique" even for a Logia-type, and the ability it grants is said to be the "most evil".

Similar to a black hole, the user can absorb things inside a vortex. It seems that it does not completely compress and annihilate that which is sucked in, but rather creates some form of space where things are stored.

The most unique and frightening advantage of the fruit is that the user also has the ability to nullify the powers of other Devil Fruits by simply touching the user and draining them of their abilities. All types of Devil Fruit, are affected by this, though Logias are most affected as they can no longer become intangible by transforming into their respective element.

The major strength of this particular fruit, the darkness the user turns into that swallows up everything, is also its major weakness. Since the darkness also absorbs attacks, the user of the fruit is still vulnerable to attacks, which do not pass through the darkness they turn into. If they fail to absorb an attack in time, the user can be hurt like any other normal human being or even more. [...]

Fascinated, you read on, heart pounding in your chest, finally finding what you were looking for:

[...]** Fōsu Fōsu no Mi is a paramecia-type that grants the possessor the use of a Force upon objects, animals and people. Known also simply as The Force, it is a metaphysical power from which derive several psychic abilities such as telekinesis, mind control and extrasensory perception similar to Kenbunshoku Haki; it is to be noted, however, that not every user in the past has been able to freely apply such extraordinary powers, as the user's Will must be superior of that of their opponent.

Not unlike the before mentioned Yami Yami no Mi, the Fōsu F ōsu no Mi is sometimes referred to in terms of "dark", but also"light" side; and just as the Yami Yami no Mi has been avidly sought for through the ages, so has this particular fruit. It is thought that the two devil fruits may somehow be linked.

Not much else is well known about its powers, most users were either incapable of fully awakening it or preferred to voluntarily hide the abilities it bequeathed, choosing to live a life of solitude; even the fruit's appearance is vague, though in some writings it has been stated that its colour is a deep golden yellow.

...

Upon one of the many poneglyphs, was etched an ancient hymn, giving us insight to the wonders this fruit is capable of:

 

"In darkness, cold.  
In light, cold.  
The old sun brings no heat.  
But there is heat in breath and life.  
In life, there is the Force.  
In the Force, there is life.  
And the Force is eternal."

 

-Sunset Prayer of the Guardians of ______

[...]

 

You furrowed your brow, the corner of the page had been ripped out.

But you had found what you had been searching for, even though the description of the encyclopedia was lacking. What surprised you the most though, was that the book not only mentioned the poneglyphs, but also quoted an ancient prayer etched upon one, translating it to the Common Language. It was clear to you that this volume had escaped the severe censorship which ensued both during and after the Void Century...and perhaps more such books were hidden in the corners of the earth, waiting to be unearthed.

 

"[F/N]?!" -Killer shouted, snapping his fingers in front of your face; "Are you listening to me?!"

"Huh?" -you looked at him, distractedly.

"We've sighted an enemy ship, I need you to take cover down below, NOW."

 

*Reference: http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Yami_Yami_no_Mi

**Ok, so for this particular power, I was obviously inspired by the idea of The Force from the star wars universe. We'll soon see what reader is capable of.


	14. Bloodshed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter contains references to violence and gore, so if you're sensitive to the subject, skip to the last few paragraphs where Kid and reader interact.
> 
> There are also mentions of threats of non-con/sexual violence.
> 
> ********************************************************************************************************

Take cover below?

You glared at Killer.

"Don't make me say it twice. As first mate here, you'll obey my orders in the absence of the captain, whilst on this ship, understood?" -his voice severe, he would not yield to your protests.

"Eustass Kid is no captain of mine." -you seethed through gritted teeth.

Killer sighed:

"I knew you would never accept, that's why I planned ahead." -he suddenly placed a hefty metal cuff around your wrist and grabbed you around the waist, hoisting you over his shoulder.

"OHI, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" -you yelled fiercely.

He clamped the other cuff on some thick metal piping.

"I'm sorry, I have to take precautions. The cuffs and rod are in reinforced carbon steel, you're currently unarmed so I trust you'll stay put until this blows over." -and with that, he left, rushing to the stairs.

There was no chance of your cowering from a fight, you weren't some delicate fawn to protect when the wolves emerged. You shook your arm, rattling the chains. Reinforced carbon steel? Child's play. With our without your weapons, you could release yourself with ease. Murmuring under your breath for a few seconds, the mechanism sprung open, liberating you from your shackles.

Why hadn't he used sea stone restraints though?

You drove away the pestering thought, time was running short: you could sense the unknown ship had engaged in battle, it brought with it an aura of hostility.

As you began to ascend, you heard shrieks and cries of pain; the men had already boarded and thet battle had commenced. You felt a rush of adrenaline at the sound of metal clashing, the smell of blood and sweat filled your nostrils, your pupils contracted and a ferocious grin emerged upon your face. You burned with anticipation, blood pumping through your veins, you felt as though the devil inside you was clawing to be released.

Absolute anarchy reigned supreme on deck, waves of scrubs were pouring aboard in a chaotic flow from the fighting vessel anchored next to the ship, their expressions savage, a desire for bloodshed etched upon their faces. You scanned the scene before you, hidden in the shadows, your eyes absorbing the dynamics of how these enemies ensued battle. You judged the rival vessel was a scouting ship, figuring that your crew had probably entered enemy territory; these kinds of reconnoiters had one sole objective: seek and destroy. You closed your eyes for a few split seconds, probing in search of a perhaps more powerful presence; nothing particular struck you, it was quite possible that the ship contained only low ranking men, though some of the combatants were not to be underestimated. *

You scoured the scene searching for Kid and his men; you located Heat and Wire thick in the throng of things, both of them slaughtering man after man after man... However, from your angle, you could only vaguely detect Kid and Killer, the turmoil of the battle fogging your senses; but neither of them seemed to be in your close proximity.

You lightly touched the daggers embedded safely in hidden pockets; Killer had thought you were unarmed, but from harsh experience, you had learned early on in life that being unprepared or too trusting of your surroundings, was foolish.

Two daggers will have to do for now.

You extracted your modest weapons, your devil fruit pulsating, your hood eerily snapped into place over your head; you stepped forward from the penumbra, a lawless figure brandishing glinting knives, cape swirling in your wake, and immersed yourself in the swarm of bodies.

You initially had the upper hand, manipulating those closest to you through your devil fruit powers; most of them didn't realise your presence until you had driven a dagger in their stomachs, but you knew this advantage wouldn't last long: you were far too exposed to result undetectable. You slit tendons, cut deep into flesh. Your blades seemed to have a will of their own, dancing in your hands. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught sight of Killer, wielding scythe-blades covered in gore. Behind you, you heard Kid's roaring voice as heavy metal crashed down hard on wood; you turned to look at him: high up above the quarterdeck, his arms were coated in various metal weaponry to create an extension of himself. On the surface of his enormous prosthetic limbs, flowed shocks and sparks of current. What a peculiar devil fruit, you figured he possessed the ability to wield electromagnetic fields; you watched him fascinated as he bellowed his attacks:

"REPEL!!!" -his eyes were two burning coals, he just looked so alive, chest bare sprayed with blood, baring his teeth. From his left arm, shot forth the disordered mass of metal; the massive projectile rent the air and crashed into the enemy vessel, splintering its hull. You looked at him one last time, fascinated, before turning back into the midst of the fight...

There was no technique to how these men fought, their only strategy was based on two very simple elements: their overwhelming number and their brutality. However, some of the mercenaries had abilities that set them apart from the rest: they possessed the capability to transform some parts of their body, such as their arms, into different parts of an animal's body.

Your clothes soon became drenched, the deck slick with blood, piss and tears, as you pushed through the enemy lines. As you cut through the throat of a man, your haki ignited warning you of a presence behind you; you spun around, as a gargantuan claw cleaved the air aiming for your head. You dodged the attack with agility, eyes meeting your attacker; the man violently grinned:

"I'MA RAPE YA BITCH!" -he bellowed savagely, retracting his claw and readying to strike again.

"You can't if you're already dead." -you retorted, outstretching your hand, grinning wildly.

The foolish brute looked at you puzzled for a second too long: laying on the floor was a battered gladius; it wouldn't have been your first choice as a weapon seeing its quality, but you summoned it all the same. The sword flinched and spun halting solidly into your grip. You slashed cleanly, so fast he barely had the time to realise his time was up; eyes popping in disbelief he brought a hand up to his throat, as blood began to seep from his mouth and the cut.

"Rape this." -your voice baneful.

With a crescent kick, you forcefully struck him in the chest, causing him to lurch backwards; falling to the ground, his throat split open as he violently hit the floor. He died choking on his own blood.

"[F/N]!!!" -you heard your name being called. It was Killer.

You grabbed a worn out buckler laying in the midst of the carnage and fastened it to your arm. Before the man could reach you, you barraged through a throng of enemies, coating your shield with armament haki. You gained momentum, losing yourself to the ritual of bloodshed.

You lacerated, rent and mangled, you spared mercy for no one; if they had the chance, these men would rip you limb from limb and leave only your bones for the dogs. You could see it in their eyes, they were no strangers to the acts of rape and depredation. 

As you twisted the rusty gladius into someone's chest, you noticed one of Kid's men on the verge of being decapitated by a brute thrice his size. It was the oaf from the refectory. You grimaced angrily, but came to his aid. You sliced through the aggressor's armour, his guts spilled out onto the deck; he vomited blood, eyes glazed over in fear, vainly trying to keep his innards inside.

The fool who's life you just spared, lay on all fours on the deck; shaking. You shook your head in disapproval at his weakness, but reached out to him in a gesture of solidarity. With tears in his eyes, he stuttered:

"Th-th-thank y-y-ou." -spittle flying from his cavernous mouth, as he wrung your hand in gratitude; only a couple of teeth were still clinging to his gums.

You wiped away the spit from your face, in disgust.

"No problem." -you answered, but shot him a jab in the stomach, winding him and causing him to double over; "that's for how you treated me that night."

 

As the battle rolled out, the Kid pirates quickly gained the upper hand, reaching to a close. You had lost sight of Killer, but before you could realize where he was, you found yourself face to face with Eustass Kid. For a split second, he didn't recognize you; as both your eyes locked, shock washed over him as he realized you had been fighting as one of his men.

"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE?!" -he roared; he stepped forward in an attempt to grab and restrain you, but failed as you jerked out of his reach. Distracted by your presence, he let his guard down.

You realized his error before he did. Without thinking, you let your instinct take control over your body and you summoned the closest weapon at hand; a crude, but nonetheless efficacious, shotgun lurched out of the hands of someone, friend or foe you had no idea. You clutched the firearm in your hands, it felt foreign to you, but you pointed it all the same at the captain's face, squinting in aim.

"Die scum." -you whispered, voice deadly.

"WHAT TH-" -was all that escaped him, confusion etched on his face, as you pulled the trigger, gunpowder igniting and bursting forth profectiles. The sound of the blast was deafening, Kid keeled forwards, hands over his ears. In the corner of your eye, you could see Killer bolting towards you.

A torrent of blood burst forth spattering your face. You spat on the floor, disgusted.

A colossal barbarian collapsed next to Kid, thundering as he struck the floor. The bullets had gone cleanly through his skull, disintegrating it. You examined the degenerate perplexed, holding the fuming weapon: he was still half transformed.

Before Killer could reach you, you threw the firearm to the floor. You had no more use for it. Kid stood up baring over you; once again, your eyes locked fiercely, you raised an eyebrow at him challeningly. Kid was breathing heavily, more from the unexpected shock of your actions than from the battle itself; sweat dripped down his brow and neck, the left side of his face was powdered with soot, the bullets had skimmed past his face leaving a trail of dust in their wake. His serpentine eyes bored into yours, pupils contracted; you met him with icy gaze, fierce.

Kid wiped a powerful arm over his mouth, wiping away blood and dust.

Before he could say anything, Killer grabbed your arm, grasping tightly causing you to gasp in pain under your breath; he jerked you towards him and placed two thick arms on your shoulders, he seemed beyond furious, losing his wits; he shook you madly, grip tightening, yelling in your face:

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY PUT, YOU COULD HAVE DIED, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN RAPED, YOU ALMOST SHOT OUR CAPTAIN!!! WHAT IN BLAZES DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?! YOU-"

Kid placed a heavy hand on his first mate, pushing him away from you:

"Leave it to me." -his voice was low, you could tell from the finallity in his tone that his first mate was to back off, no buts.

Killer hesitated a moment, as though he wanted to say something, but refrained himself from doing so.

The captain turned to you, glaringly red as his coat dripped with blood:

"My workshop. Now."

You breathed heavily, pondering the possibility of confronting him there and then. But something in his voice made you falter. You turned and left, looking over your shoulder at the carnage bellow; only a few enemies remained, the vessel drowning in the ocean, pulling the few survivors along with it to the depths below.

You reached his office and noticed the door was locked; you thought back to the key he had given you the other night, and flicked your wrist: the bolts immediately clicked open granting you access inside. So it was a master key. You gingerly stepped inside closing the door behind you; inside, the room was dark and somber, but also calming as it isolated you from the shrieks and cries from outside; only the faint clinking of a few mechanisms produced any sound at all.

Minutes passed by as you waited in anticipation. You folded your cape and sat down on a paint stained chair; you didn't want to sully the captain's workshop with filaments of guts, though you had inevitably left a trail of bloodied footsteps on the floorboards.

You began to grow anxious and fiddled with one of your daggers, unsure of what kind of reaction Kid would have.

You heard his footsteps ascending the metal spiral staircase, you had rapidly learned to recognize his heavy pace, but still couldn't tell if the man was besides himself with fury or not. He opened the door roughly, light glaring behind him framing his silhouette, before closing it and plunging the both of you into the shadiness of the room.

You suddenly felt very tense as he stepped forward. You watched him as a sliver of light lightly illuminated his features; he still spoke no word, but just stood there staring at you.

You would have preferred him to rage against you as Killer had, this deadly calm was wracking your nerves. Kid's eyes were indecipherable. You bit your tongue, but remained composed.

"You're a devil fruit user." -his voice cut through the silence.

You nodded, silently, gripping the sides of the chair as you stared into his dark eyes. He had a way of making you feel powerless.

"Why did you defy Killer's direct orders?" -he asked, tone deep and still unreadable.

You closed your eyes with heavy heart; you knew that Kid prized above all else, absolute unwavering loyalty.

"I've never cowered from a fight and I won't start now." -you answered, resolutely.

"You could have died, [F/N]."

You noticed how he had chosen to use your name. You opened your eyes and looked up at him. You shook your head:

"Probabilty is relative, in every battle we all risk our lives; but my chances of being killed today were practically nonexistant."

Kid frowned at you:

"You're not afraid of dying."

"Neither are you."

He pondered your words, silence fell between you once more.

"There are worse things than death, Kid." -you added.

"Such as losing your freedom of choice or being enslaved, [F/N]?" -his voice questioning, testing you.

You nodded at him, blushing. Perhaps Kid had more insight than you initially thought...

He hummed as though he understood you, you couldn't help but feel that a connection between yourself and the captain was beginning to form. Taking a couple of strides, he bent towards you overshadowing your form; raking his eyes over your face, he licked his dark lips. You immediately felt a hot flush burn your ears and cheeks, and bit down on your tongue again. With a rugged hand, he gently palmed your face and wiped away the drying blood on your cheek:

"You should go and wash up." -he whispered in your ear.

"Aye." -you croaked, a knot forming in your throat again.

He turned away from you:

"You can leave. Tell Killer I want a word with him." -his voice was authoritative once more.

You stood up, heading for the door. As you opened it, he spoke once more:

"Don't think I didn't notice that you pryed open the locks, [F/N]." -his voice was severe, but amused.

You couldn't help but grin.


	15. Symbols

The stench out on deck was unbearable, the ferrous scent of blood mixed with that of piss and faecal matter, a blazing sun above intensified the fetor. It was midday*. The air reeked of death and the weak breeze could do nothing to disperse the miasma of foulness rising from the hot bodies strewn on the floor. The Kid pirates under Killer's command had begun throwing some of the cadavers over-board. You watched them carefully as the low ranking whelps sifted through the pockets of the dead, hoarding any valuables they recovered; others hauled the mangled corpses up to the railings.

You pulled out your pipe, wrinkling your nose. You weren't a stranger to macabre scenes such as these, but the smell always got to you, making your stomach churn. Striking a match, you puffed on the bit, the natural terpene flavour of the smoke filled your lungs; it didn't completely overpower the potent odours from below, but it helped.

You descended the metal stairs, boots clanking, and made your way towards Killer. He turned to face you, placing his hands on his hips.

"The captain wants to speak with you."

You could tell that under the mask, the massacre soldier was frowning heavily. You shifted slightly on the spot, a guilty smile emerging on your features:

"Come on Killer, you couldn't possibly expect me to stay put, after all, I have one hell of a bounty to live up to."

The blond groaned at your words, palming his mask with a sonorous slap:

"You're far more trouble than I expected, [F/N]. I'm surprised Kid didn't punish you for disobeying."

You shrugged at him:

"Mabey he was impressed?" -you answered, teasing.

"Yeah, maybe..." -came his reply, a subtle hint of nervousness in his voice; "Since you're so cocky today, you can help out with the bodies. Search them and if you find anything useful, bring it straight to me or Kid."

You grimaced at him, but nodded. You watched Killer walk away.

Treading carefully between the bodies, you inspected the armour and clothing of the fallen enemies, noticing that almost every one of them had a peculiar symbol either etched into their leather breastplate, bracers and helms, or painted on their bucklers. You frowned slightly, you had seen the markings before somewhere...

Perhaps there was a survivor somewhere amongst the carcasses.

You closed your eyes, searching for a pulse of life among the dead. In the midst of the perished, you detected someone's agony. You began nearing the source, Heat and Wire both observed you curiously; under a huge corpse, you heard a faint wheezing breath, a man was trapped under the weight of his fallen comrade. Placing your boot on the side, you pushed, causing the massive trollop of a man to roll off his barely alive crewmate; released from the crushing weight, the scrub spluttered and dry heaved, tears, snot and blood encrusted on his face; his midsection had been pierced by a spear, pinning him to the floor, but he had somehow managed to survive.

You knelt down beside him, an aura of fear enveloped the man; he was just a simple whelp, young too, judging by his smooth face. He began to cry, it was such a pitiful sight. Heat and Wire had now joined you by your side, baring down on the unfortunate survivor.

You watched him sadly as he struggled through the pain. It was clear these men were merely disposable meat to be used as cannon fodder; whoever their leader was, their cruelty was blatant.

"Who are you?" -you enquired gently.

The young combatant grimaced and groaned:

"Fuck you cunt!!" -he spat, savagely.

You sighed, he probably wasn't going to tell you anything without a little persuasion...

Pulling up your hood and darkening your features, you neared the man; Heat stretched out a hand to your shoulder:

"Beware, he could attack you!"

"I need to extract information from him Heat, trust me." -you answered, looking up at him.

He faltered, hesitating:

"But Master Kid said-"

Wire stopped him and pulled him back:

"Let her..."

You nodded at the both of them and turned back to the dying man. You placed a hand on his face, he flinched under your touch, clenching his teeth, tears streaming down his face:

"Look at me." -you said imperatively.

He couldn't resist your command, and though struggling against your force, turned to you. His expression strongly reminded you of the frightened glare cattle for slaughter had; his pupils trembled, eyes bulging from their sockets. Spittle and froth began forming around his dry cracked lips.

"Who are you." -you asked again.

He shut his eyes in anguish, veins throbbing in his temple.

"Pleasures!" -he shrieked, no longer unable to refuse you.

Pleasures? What did that mean?

"Who are the pleasures?" -you enquired.

"Gifters!" -he groaned, panic-stricken.

His answers were incoherent and his life was expiring fast, there wasn't much time left.

"Who is your master?" -your voice ominous.

He bit his tongue in a bid to silence himself. Admirable, but useless. The young man had great resolve and it was evident his loyalty was unwavering, but there were other ways...

You placed your other hand on his temple, kneeling closer. Under your breath, you whispered darkly:

"Occlumens."

He shuddered and writhed uncontrollably, Heat and Wire took a step back in surprise.

...

Far away territory.

...

"Gifters! Pleasures! Go forth into the world and wreak havoc upon it!" -a booming voice roared, resonating.

...

Thousands of men cheered and chanted, raising their weapons into the air.

...

A gargantuan beast ignited their spirits, horns scraping the sky.

...

The smell of sea brine, the anticipation of battle, the promise of glory.

...

Plunder. Rape. Murder. Screams of the innocent. Conquest.

...

One symbol, One name.

...

You stood up brusquely, breaking the connection. The fool screamed in pain as he squirmed recoiling from you:

"HE'LL KILL YOU, HE'LL KILL YOU ALL!" -his voice rebounded, he cackled madly.

You turned to Wire and snatched his trident from him. You stepped closer to the whelp who was laughing hysterically:

"There's no-one here to hear your cries, none of you survived the clash."

At that, he abruptly ceased, eyes wide and mouth agape in fear.

"May the heavens have mercy upon your soul."

With a quick motion, you pierced his throat slicing his jugular vein, quickly ending his misery. He clawed briefly at the weapon lodged in him, gurgling as blood spouted rapidly out of the slash. Within a few seconds, he was no more.

You extracted the weapon with expertise and handed it back to its owner. Heat and Wire looked at you in awe:

"What does it mean?!" -asked Wire, face tense.

You shook your head at him:

"I need to speak to the captain."

 

The gruelling hours inched by; silently alongside the crew, you toiled and cleaned up the mess of corpses and bodily fluids. Killer still hadn't emerged from his captain's workshop, you thought it would be wise not to disturb them; you wanted to speak alone with the captain, but it could wait for now. No more survivors were recovered and the remains of their scouting ship had been completely engulfed by the sea; unless they had somehow sent a plea for backup, it was unlikely that their master would be any the wiser of having lost his men at the hands of the Kid Pirates.

Many crewmates stared at you, looking at you with different eyes; you could feel they feared you more now, but you had clearly gained more respect; no one dared disturb you, as you heaved the dead to the railings. Only Heat and Wire seemed at all interested in conversing with you...

The heat began to lift as the sun began to descend to the horizon, its colour veering to a coral orange, scattering pink and yellow hues in the sky. You were thoroughly exhausted, having scrubbed and swabbed the deck. Sweat rolled down your brow as you stood up, joints aching; the last few bodies and limbs had been disposed of; Heat had remained the entire afternoon with you, assisting with the more gruesome aspects of cleaning up. The two of you sighed tired and began trudging towards your respective cabins. As you both paced together, Heat turned to you:

"You are most skilled in combat, where did you learn to fight?"

You smiled at him:

"Oh, you know, here and there... Survival is the best of masters, I guess."

He hummed in assent:

"That is true."

Before you could say anything more, the captain and his first mate emerged from the workshop, a look of victory etched on Kid's face. He raised his hands upwards, as though in a regal fashion, leaning a heavy boot against the balustrade:

"MY MEN!" -his voice boomed across the deck, capturing the attention of every individual; "TONIGHT YOU ARE FREE TO ROAM AND INDULGE IN PLEASURE, WE APPROACH THE NEXT ISLAND! PREPARE TO DOCK THE SHIP!!!"

Roars of cheers erupted from the crewmates. Kid smirked down upon you all, hands placed on his hips. You groaned at the thought, you hardly felt in the mood for festivities; besides, it wasn't as though anyone really wanted you there... Perhaps Heat or maybe Killer wouldn't mind, but they probably had plans of their own.

The men buzzed with excitement and began busying themselves in preparation for the night to come; you took the opportunity to slip away from Heat's side, pacing quickly towards your cabin. Before you could reach it, however, Kid jumped down over the balustrade, landing heavily behind you, shaking the wooden boards; you whipped around to face him:

"And where do you think you're going?" -he teased, looming over you.

"To my cabin, is where. Is that a problem, or am I disobeying direct orders?" -you answered, slyly.

Kid looked at you up and down:

"I thought I told you to wash up? You look revolting."

"You're a right charmer. There was work to be done." -you snapped.

He raised an eyebrow at you, enquiringly. You sighed at him, tired:

"I have information, we need to speak later."

"what kind of information?" -Kid's voice became suddenly serious, eyes narrowing.

You watched men pass by, chanting and singing, glad they would be allowed a night of alcohol-fueled merriment. Your eyes snapped back to Kid's:

"Later." -you answered shortly.

He grunted and nodded:

"Like I said, wash up. You're filthy. You've got twenty minutes to my shower, then we talk."

The nerve of him.

You scowled but accepted.

 

You turned the tap and steaming water gushed out of the shower head. Your clothes lay piled in a corner, they would need to be thoroughly cleaned. Stepping lightly into the tin tub, you revelled in the sensation of the hot water washing over you. You scraped away grime from your skin, watching the stream of water turn a murky red; as you soaped up, you began extracting fragments of bone that had knotted in your hair, the operation took quite some time...

As you lathered up once more, twisting the tap of cold water on, Kid burst inside. You yelped in surprise, panicking. You had forgotten your fresh change on his bed.

Grumbling, you heard him marching up to the washroom:

"KID WAIT!" -you yelled, a few seconds before he entered.

The captain abruptly stopped.

"I'm... I'm not done yet, just give me a second, please?!"

He grunted, but paused a moment too long, making you shudder anxiously.

"Fine." -he answered, annoyed; "but hurry up, I need to take a piss and I'll come in there whether you're dressed or not!"

You swallowed nervously and attempted the best you could at shaking off the water droplets which clung to your damp toned body.

You gingerly stepped out of the tub and crept up to the doorway. You peeked past it, Kid was facing the opposite side, his arms were crossed; he seemed disgruntled.

"Uhm...Kid?" -you piped up, embarrassed.

He turned to look at you and a devilish grin broke out on his face.

"Could you uhm... pass me my clothes?" -you asked, beginning to blush profusely.

"And why can't you get them yourself?" -he answered in a provocative tone.

You scowled at him.

"Because I'm still...still..."

"Naked?" -he completed your sentence, grinning all the more; "well, well, well, this is interesting."

You palmed your face:

"Hardly. Could you just hand me my clothes now? They're on your bed."

He reached out, grabbed the neatly folded attire and turned back to you, but still did hand you anything.

"Kid..."

"Tisk, tisk, where are your manners?" -he said slyly.

"What?!" -You squinted at him.

He took a step closer and leaned against the wall, almost seeing past the door frame.

"Hey, HEY! Stay there!" -your voice alarmed.

He chuckled at your reaction:

"What's the magic word?" -he purred.

You groaned at him:

"...Please."

He passed you the clothes, you grabbed them, but failed to snatch them out of his tight grip.

"Kid!"

"And...?" -he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

You paused a moment, face burning, you were all too self-conscious.

"...Thank you."

"That's better [F/N]."

You grimaced and slipped back into the bathroom and began dressing quickly. You heard him sit down heavily on his bed, metal springs creaking. But something was missing...

"Kid, there should be another piece of clothing there..."

"And what type of clothing would that be?"

This could not be happening...

"...U-underwear." -you stuttered.

Kid's low rumble of laughter reached you from the other room, you closed your eyes in dread.

"You mean your panties?"

Covering up as best you could, you darted to the door frame, looking around it angrily; Kid was twirling your undergarment on his index, a smug look plastered on his face. Furiously, you summoned them: they whipped through the air, you caught them and you disappeared again, Kid laughing heavily.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" -you snapped, as you entered his room fully dressed.

"Pink suits you." -he replied huskily.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, you couldn't bare the humiliation:

"They're just a pair of plain underwear!" -you snapped; "can we just get to the damn point?!"

Kid shrugged:

"I liked them." -he teased.

From inside your pockets, you pulled out a chain neckless and threw it at him. He caught it, mid-air.

"Look at the symbol."

Kid observed it for a few moments, frowning:

"What of it?"

"That's Kaido's mark."

His expression darkened, no longer smirking.

"How do you know this?" -he looked up at you.

"I've seen it before. I interrogated one of the whelps, he was still alive. He confirmed that his master is Kaido of the Hundred Beasts."

A shadow of a grin began to form once more on his features, he squeezed the neckless in his fist.

"What else did you find out?"

You recounted what you had seen in your vision to him, but refrained from telling him how you had obtained such information. You told him of the Pleasures and the Gifters, of the hoards of men, an entire army.

"What of the men who transformed? They had some kind of power." -he enquired

You shook your head:

"I'm guessing they possessed something artificial, no devil fruit can give such strange abilities. They seemed incomplete."

Kid nodded in agreement. He stood up and placed the neckless on his desk:

"I'll be keeping this. You did well."

You shrugged at him.

He turned to fully face you, gazing at you.

You hated when you locked eyes with him, you felt so exposed and fragile... But you couldn't tear away from him.

"You'll be dining with us tonight." -his voice was deep and commanding.

"Oh!" -you answered taken aback, but pleasantly surprised.

He cocked a non-existent eyebrow at you:

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no... I just...Didn't really expect to be included, is all."

Kid frowned at your words.

"We'll be docking soon, you should go get ready. Killer wants a word with you before we hit land." -his voice had an unusual softness to it.

You nodded and left, you felt his eyes on your back.


	16. Public Employment Security Office Pt.1

In the distance, a dark strip of land was visible. The sun was dipping below the great expanse of ocean, melding with the ripples; you watched, captivated by such beauty, as the dying light burning red was quenched and the proverbial green flash hovered for a mere heartbeat over the ink black horizon. The seas were eerily calm, sleek waves lapped at the hull of the ship as it cut through the darkness; slowly, in the distance, a myriad of tiny lights began to emerge as you neared the island.

You tore away your gaze and looked around in search of Killer. You noticed how a more jovial vibe had taken over the men; many chanted crude sea songs as they prepared to dock, others had already begun drinking heavily, slurring their words and talking of women. You were keen to avoid them.

You caught sight of the wiry mohican and intercepted him:

"Hey, HEY!" -you blurted, catching up.

He turned around quirking an eyebrow at you, as you reached him.

"Do you know where I can find Killer?"

He cracked an odd grin at you:

"Down below miss, he's in 'is cabin most likely. He might be a little busy though."

The man kept smirking at you, he seemed to find something unbeknownst to you rather entertaining.

You squinted at him, a crease forming on your forehead.

"Right right, thanks." -you answered slowly before heading below deck.

 

You rapped gently on Killer's door.

"Enter, it's open!" -his voice came from within.

You stepped inside, not quite registering your surroundings, but only noticing at first impact a strong musky smell which invaded your nostrils stinging slightly; there before you, Killer was standing nonchalantly whilst spraying cologne on his well-toned fit body. Apart from a modest towel wrapped around his waist and his blue and white striped mask, the blonde wore absolutely nothing; tiny droplets of water dripped slowly down his muscles. At the sight, you blushed profusely and quickly averted your gaze elsewhere:

"You could have told me you weren't undressed, I didn't mean to intrude"

He chuckled at your shy reaction:

"Have you never seen a half-naked man before, [F/N]?"

You scowled at his teasing.

"Believe me, I've seen a lot of things, but I prefer to respect other people's privacy."

"Fine, fine, you can turn around now." -he waved away your preoccupations.

Clearly, the crewmates were hardly shy of one another; nudity of your comrades was just one of those things that one got used to on an all-male pirate ship.

Killer was now wearing a somewhat revealing tight cobalt t-shirt upon which was a stylized jolly roger; his pectorals were showing through the V-neck. You couldn't quite help but think his look was intended to be provocative.

"What did you want [F/N]? Apart from catching me half nude, that is." -he taunted, voice amused.

You squinted at him beadily.

"Captain said you wanted a word with me." -you answered, flatly.

"Oh, so now you call Kid "Captain"? And there was me thinking you didn't view him as such...I remember you saying something of the sort, earlier on today."

Your eyebrows knitted in annoyance, he was beginning to get on your nerves:

"This is your idea of revenge, isn't it?" 

He laughed heartily at your words.

"Take a seat [F/N], I do indeed want to talk with you."

You accepted his invitation and sat on a metal stool. Killer began occupying himself with a bottle of ochroid liquid; he handed you a glass of the strongly scented beverage. You sniffed it warily, wrinkling your nose; the aroma wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it didn't really tempt you much either.

"What is it?" -you enquired, distrustfully.

"Our version of Grog. It's not the best of hard liquors, but it's excellent at gingering up; we drink it after a heavy fight." -he began sipping on his drink through a blue and white striped straw, which matched his mask.

With a calculating expression plastered on your face, you sampled the concoction.

Revolting.

You cleared your throat after swallowing, a sharp and bitter taste was left in your mouth.

Killer began laughing as he watched your face transform in disgust; it was evident you disliked the taste:

"That bad, huh?"

"I've had worse, but honestly this moonshine is atrocious."

"Its Kid's favourite."

You could swear you felt him wink at you.

"I pity the fool..." -you answered coolly.

You downed the drink in one, shuddering as it burned your oesophagus.

"Oi, go easy with that, it packs one hell of a punch."

You simply shrugged at him, you weren't a stranger to drinking. You passed him your empty tumbler expecting him to take it away, but he generously topped it up once more. The gesture didn't go unnoticed to you.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

You began to feel the familiar warmth of alcohol spreading in your gut, your limbs began to tingle ever so slightly as they loosened up.

"A few things actually... Firstly though, I want to talk to you about Kaido's men, the Pleasures and Gifters." -his voice became heavy.

You frowned at him. You had only told Kid about what you had discovered.

"How do you-"

He cut you off quickly:

"I know a lot of things [F/N]. I know Kaido rules over Wano Country and has allied himself with the Shogun of Wa."

You looked at him, surprised. Why hadn't he told his captain?

"What do you know of the Pleasures and Gifters [F/N]? Heat a Wire recounted your interaction with one of the whelps."

You nodded, of course they would have told their superior... As you sipped some more on your drink, you decided to tell him what had happened and what you had seen, just as you did with Kid.

"So you have the ability to see into someone's mind?"

You hesitated. Killer was far more insightful than Kid, you had to tread lightly for you had already exposed too much of yourself already. Feigning indifference to his question, you answered with caution:

"Not quite, no. The man was in a precarious state to start with and its only possible to see so far; I can't look into his mind at will, I can only capture a few glimpses." -your reply wasn't completely true, but hopefully Killer wouldn't realise this. The best way to lie was to add a little bit of truth to the mix; this was another one of those precious lessons you had learned for survival.

Killer sighed, perhaps he was hoping for you to give him more.

"So you saw nothing else?"

Again, you faltered, unsure of how much to reveal. You closed your eyes and hummed:

"I saw great swarms of men, as far as the eye could see. Some of the men could transform, but the majority didn't possess the ability... And there was a powerful booming voice commanding them to go forth and bring destruction. I could feel an immense aura."

Killer quitely listened to your every word. You paused slightly and decided to add nothing more.

"Did you see the owner of the aura?" -his voice grave.

You shook your head. You were unsure of what you had seen, but whatever it was, it didn't have human form.

Killer nodded subdued:

"Very well [F/N]. We're bound to meet more of these ships on the high seas, next time we should take some of them as captives."

You looked at him in silence, you were fairly sure that what he had in mind was to use your abilities to probe further.

The blond offered you another round which you accepted with a curt nod of your head.

"I also want to talk to you about your bravado today."

Bravado?

"I wouldn't define it as such, but go on." -you scowled profusely at him.

Killer seemed to struggle momentarily to find the right wording. You began to grow impatient as he sighed and emptily gesticulated.

"I shouldn't really be saying any of this to you, I'm supposed to keep it between me and my captain..." -he trailed on.

You felt your ears burning and an uncomfortable sensation began to invade your gut.

"Then why are you going out of your way to tell me?" -you pushed him.

Killer groaned.

"Kid seems to think you could be a great asset to our crew..." -he said slowly. You raised an eyebrow at him, curious and pressing; you failed to see the problem.

"Kid is fearless [F/N]; neither pain nor the threat of imminent death fazes him... He's actually quite reckless, to be honest."

"What has this got to with me?" -you questioned.

"He expects the same unwavering fearlessness from his men. We're all ready to die for him [F/N]. But I fear that he may come to expect the same from you." -he answered, emphasizing the last few words.

You pondered his words, not quite sure how to answer. If truth be told, you didn't know how to interpret what you learned, nor did you quite understand how it made you feel. Killer caught the opportunity to continue further:

"I understand it's pointless to restrain you, only sea stone cuffs would do the trick and after today, I know you won't be so trusting of me next time around. So I want to reason with you..."

Smart man.

Still, with eyes closed, you said nothing, simply listening and waiting.

"...I would rather you stay by my side. If anything happens, I'm there. If things get out of control, if Kid loses control..." -he trailed on.

Your eyes snapped upon the masked man, a shadow of a grimace began to form.

"...I'll be there."

You rubbed your face in frustration. He watched you impatiently; leaning towards you, he seemed on the verge of reaching out to you...

"I'll think about it." -you answered dryly.

He retracted and nodded, though he seemed unsatisfied with your short reply.

"Next time offer me something better than this rotgut, massacre soldier, and maybe you'll get a better answer." -you said, sarcastically.

Killer laughed, relieved:

"So we have an agreement?"

"Don't be so pushy, I said I'll think about it." -you swatted away his questions.

From the floor above came Kid's powerful voice; it seemed the ship had been anchored at the harbour.

"We should go." -offered Killer.

Sliding ungraciously off your stool, you began marching to the upper flaws, Killer following suit behind you.

"You know what [F/N]? That wily friend of yours, the sneaky one with the ruff, had a point about you..."

You stopped abruptly mid-step:

"Please elaborate." -your voice thinning.

Killer took the lead and loomed over you from the step above:

"Could you be any less feminine?" -he chimed in a mock voice.

You scrunched up your face in indignation.

"I swear I'll punch you in the face one of these days, Killer."

He laughed at your response.

"How uncanny, you sound just like Kid."

And with that, he turned and left a disgruntled you to ponder his words.

 

Out on deck, the scrubs had already begun to traipse merrily towards the town centre. The ship was moored at a rickety dock which had definitely seen far better days; the spindly pier was crumbling and various planks were missing. At first glance, you judged that this was either a not very welcoming island or it was a very poor one. You looked off into the distance, thick tropical vegetation enveloped the islet, a hot breeze lifted your hair; from somewhere in the midst of the wild growth, a faint music could be heard and the soft glow of lights managed to seep through flora. Kid was with both Heat and Wire, an amused grin shadowed his features; whether the man was smiling or not, he nevertheless always looked ferocious.

Catching sight of you, Heat waved in your direction, mouth slitting in a wide smile. You felt a warmth spread in your gut (though perhaps the alcohol you had downed not too many moments ago was partially responsible), despite his frightful appearance, the teal-grey haired man with the sunken eyes and massive scars always seemed to reserve a more considerate attitude in your regards. Wire, on the other hand, seemed almost bored, but nodded at you all the same.

As you walked over to the trio, you lightly checked if you had some weaponry upon you; as always, you kept a switchblade close to your heart. Strapped to your boots, were your quick axes; after today's clash with Kaido's men, you decided it was imprudent to go anywhere without them.

Kid watched you with serpentine eyes as you reached the group, Killer behind you as well. You would usually have felt fairly self-conscious at being observed with such scrutiny, but the grog seemed to be having an interesting effect on your self-awareness. The party was now complete as Killer stepped in line side by side with his captain; the two of them took the lead; you peeked over your shoulder and saw the mohican and a hefty dirty-blond haired man were staying back to guard the hip.

 

Traipsing along a beaten path which crept and twined into the depths of the forest, you fell slightly behind, observing your surrounding; Kid and Killer were deep in conversation, Wire silently by their side, expression solemn. Something felt a little off, as though the island was hiding something ominous. You shrugged off your thoughts as Heat waited for you to catch up:

"Master Kid says we'll find a tavern where to feast and share drinks..." -he explained.

You smiled warmly at him.

You weren't entirely sure if it was much of a good idea to drink more alcohol, even though you were used to the occasional drunken carousel with your crew.

A subtle silence fell between the both of you, but after a few moments Heat's voice broke it:

"You know, boss Kid wanted you to join us. He considers you." -he said softly under his breath.

You blushed slightly at his words:

"How come?" -you susurrated quietly, so as not to be heard by the others.

Heat faltered, not quite sure how to answer, or how much to say. His lips parted, but Killer turned around and interrupted him; you got the feeling that the first mate had been listening in on your conversation or at least suspected something:

"It seems we've reached Booty Bay." -he said nonchalantly, gesturing to a large wooden signboard looming above your heads.

Both you and Heat craned your necks to read the writing on the decaying wood, paint peeling and a million minuscule wormwood holes dotted upon the sign.

It did indeed read Booty Bay. And in the corner, was etched a symbol which you were all too familiar with:

A crossed out smiley jolly roger.

Kid's harsh voice cut through your turbid thoughts:

"Well, this is interesting, a rouge island."


End file.
